Page 21 - Blue Valley_Issue 3_2022

TODAY’S CHILD

COMPULSORY EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

What parents need to know

he transition of Early Childhood Development (ECD) from the
Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic
TEducation is now in full swing, and will change how the academic
development of young children is approached in South Africa. The
transition will become effective from 2023, and among the changes that
will be introduced by the move, is the obligation on parents to send their
children to school from Grade 00, as opposed to school attendance only
being compulsory from Grade 1, which has been the case until now.

Parents now need to consider where they will send their child from
next year, and they will have to do their homework carefully to ensure
the school they choose approaches ECD from a child-led learning
perspective. This will ensure that the child starts their academic journey
in an age-appropriate way, that they build strong foundations, and that
they have positive associations with going to school.
“Schools have different programmes and approaches, and parents may
be seduced by the idea of sending their child to a strictly academically-
focused ECD institution which will turn their little one into a mini Einstein
before they even head to big school. However, these good intentions are
likely to fall flat as this is not the correct age-appropriate approach,” says
Lynda Eagle, Academic Advisor at private education group ADvTECH.
For pre-schoolers, there are 5 key areas of development:
• gross motor skills, for example crawling, jumping or running;
• fine motor skills, such as writing and drawing;
• speech and language;
• cognitive and intellectual skills, such as counting or identifying shapes;
• social and emotional skills, such as playing and interacting with other
children.
“The early years are exceptionally important, but learning should as far
as possible be play-based. Bombarding young children with a curriculum
more suitable to older students is entirely counter-productive,” explains
Eagle.
When looking for an early learning campus, parents should search for
a school that is not only aesthetically pleasing but, more importantly,
where the child’s well-being is placed at the forefront.

BLUE VALLEY NEWS • Issue 3 2022• 19