Page 28 - FWG_Issue 5_June_2022

Today’s Child

COMPULSORY EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

What parents need to know

he transition of Early Childhood However, these good intentions are likely • speech and language;
Development (ECD) from to fall flat, as this is not the correct age- • cognitive and intellectual, such as
the Department of Social appropriate approach,” says Lynda Eagle, counting or identifying shapes;
TDevelopment to the Department Academic Advisor at ADvTECH Schools. • social and emotional skills, such as playing
of Basic Education is now in full swing, and and interacting with other children.
will change how the academic development For pre-schoolers, there are 5 key areas of
of young children is approached in South development: “The early years are exceptionally important,
Africa. The transition will become effective • gross motor skills, for example crawling, but learning should as far as possible be play-
from 2023, and among the changes that jumping or running; based. Bombarding young children with a
will be introduced by the move, is the • fine motor skills, such as writing and curriculum more suitable to older students
obligation on parents to send their children drawing; is entirely counter-productive,” Eagle says.
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 young 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 appropriately
for their age, 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.

Fourways Gardens • 26 • June 2022