On 20 November, Early Childhood Development (ECD) activists, practitioners and anyone who cares for young children will gather at the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) Head Office in Pretoria for an ECD Sit-In, urging the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, to prioritise ECD as a political and social priority. This date, recognised globally as Universal Children’s Day, underscores the essential rights of children as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and serves as a powerful reminder that children’s rights should be upheld as a fundamental responsibility.
The ECD Sit-In is organised by Real Reform for ECD (RR4ECD) and grounded in the recommendations of the People’s Manifesto for ECD, developed collaboratively by ECD sector advocates ahead of the 2024 general elections. The ECD Sit-In builds on the momentum from April 2024, when over 600 advocates marched to Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, calling on all political parties to recognise ECD’s vital role in shaping South Africa’s future.
Despite the South African government’s commitment to universal access to ECD by 2030, there is insufficient budget to support universal access, no clear plans for a national ECD nutrition pilot despite R197 million being allocated for this purpose, no timeline for tabling the Children’s Amendment Bill (2023) before Parliament and a frozen R17 per child per day subsidy since 2019 that only benefits one-in-seven poor children.
All of this, while, 70% of children are now living in very poor households where their basic needs are not met, one-in-four children under five are stunted by chronic malnutrition, 57% of children attending an ECD programme are not on track for cognitive and/or physical development, about 1.3 million three to five year old children from mostly poor households are not accessing any ECD programmes at all, and 81% of Grade 4 learners are unable to read for meaning.
Our young children are in crisis and the people who care for them on a daily basis are not being supported.
Primary Demands of the Sit-In
This advocacy action aims to spotlight three immediate priorities requiring the Minister’s urgent attention:
- #TableTheBill: Table the Children’s Amendment Bill (2023) before Parliament by the end of 2024 and pass it by the end of 2025, a vital piece of legislation that addresses structural and financial gaps in ECD.
- #SpendTheMoney: Implement a national ECD nutrition pilot programme before the end of the 2024/25 financial year using the R197 million allocated by National Treasury for this purpose.
- #UpTheSubsidy: Restore the value of the ECD subsidy to its 2019 purchasing power of R23 per child per day, with a commitment to increasing the subsidy to R46 by 2030.
Why This Matters
ECD remains vastly underfunded and undervalued, an oversight that fails to honour the rights of the youngest children of our country. The People’s Manifesto for ECD provides a blueprint based on a nurturing care framework that addresses key elements like health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, safety, and early learning. Real Reform for ECD emphasises that these early interventions are essential for developing well-rounded, capable future citizens. Yet, with current funding and policy priorities lagging, the urgent needs of young children and those caring for them continue to be unmet.
ECD Sit-In Details
● Date and Time: 20 November 2024, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Call to Action
Real Reform for ECD is inviting ECD practitioners, parents, supporters, community partners, and the general public to join this ECD sit-in, adding their voices to the call for transformative change in ECD and the future of our country. Those unable to attend can support by sharing the People’s Manifesto for ECD, signing the petition, or amplifying the message on social media with #SpendTheMoney, #TableTheBill, and #UpTheSubsidy.
About Real Reform for ECD
