Scaling Up Early Childhood Development (ECD) (0-4 years) in South Africa: A Review of Training Qualifications, Training Provision, and Training Delivery in Relation to the Needs of the National Integrated Plan for ECD and the ECD Component of the Expanded Public Works Programme
by BIERSTEKER, L., 2008Research Report. Human Sciences Research Council
This paper is one of a series developed to inform the Scaling Up ECD Services (0–4 years) Research Project with the aim of improving child development and significant job creation. The qualifications of teachers and practitioners have been found to be associated with improved child outcomes in a range of countries and contexts, and are therefore often used as a service quality indicator. Because of a history of neglect of ECD services, the majority of practitioners in South Africa lack formal qualifications. Parents and other caregivers also often have low levels of education. Human resource development is therefore one of the supporting components for implementation of the NIP for ECD, and the EPWP social sector plan provides for a range of training opportunities to develop the skills and employability of people in the ECD sector. Given the backlog in terms of practitioner qualifications and plans for the expansion of the ECD system, both for Grade R and for children under five, a supply of accessible and appropriate training opportunities at different levels for different jobs in respect of ECD services is critical. Finding the most effective and efficient delivery strategies for training is an essential requirement for rapid expansion
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