Education

Standing Committee on Education:

Curriculum in Foundation Phase:

Early Childhood Development

10 June 2022
Vision of the WCED

Vision
Quality Education
for every child
in every classroom
in every school in the province.

Caring Competence Accountability Integrity Innovation Responsiveness

Presentation Outline

1. Purpose

2. Understanding the landscape

3. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF)

4. Learning Programmes in ECD.

5. Programmes supporting the Curriculum

6. ECD: Practitioner Training and Development

7. Grade R Curriculum Implementation

Purpose

To brief the Standing Committee on Education on curriculum

implementation in the Foundation Phase focusing on Early Childhood
Education.

Caring Competence Accountability Integrity Innovation Responsiveness

Understanding the landscape
The model of ECD taken over from DSD

In 2017 WC DSD decentralised the service delivery model by developing a unit of 52

officials working at Head Office.

WCED on 1 April 2022 took over 48 permanent staff and 4 Social Workers on
contract.

ECD Centres Registered Unregistered Total

1613 3283
Total No. of children accessing registered PCF 137 276

Total No. of children accessing subsidies 82 445

 Understanding the landscape

 The WCED is mandated to provide training on the National Curriculum

Framework(NCF): Birth to Four years
 To monitor and support the implementation of the NCF
 To serve on a panel to evaluate the Learning Programmes for 0-4 years
 To provide training for practitioners working in the ECD sector
 1 April 2022 the function of ECD: 0-4 years shifted from the Department of
Social Development to the Department of Education
 The ECD sector is privately owned, consisting of civil society organizations,
Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs), trusts, etc.
Integrated, holistic ECD provisioning will therefore build a coherent starting phase within the continuum of lifelong
learning.
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF)
Key ideas influencing the NCF

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 The overview of the NCF

Vision for the National Curriculum Framework

Three themes based in the Vision

competent person
1. I am a 2. My learning 3. I need strong
2. My learning competent person and development connections
and development is important with adults
is important
connectionsTwelve Principles based in the Vision and Themes in the Visio

Six Early Learning and Development (ELDAs) Which reflect

the Vision, Themes and Principles Development (ELDAs) Which reflect
the Vision, Themes and Principles

1. Well Being 2. Identity and 3. Communication 4. Exploring 5. Creativity 6.Knowledge and

(The Key ELDA) Belonging Mathematics Understanding
of the world
Learning Programmes in ECD
 Learning Programmes

 Learning Programme assessments were done by the Department of Social Development

with panels consisting of Education officials
 The learning programme evaluation was categorised by the three models: In centre,
playgroups and home based
 WCED promotes the NCF as a overarching curriculum to inform and support learning
programme development and implementation
 Recognised learning programmes are accepted by the WCED
 All learning programmes are evaluated against a standard criteria

Children younger than 4 years will therefore not be enrolled in schools – they will be accessing
services through ECD Programmes
Programmes supporting the Curriculum
BLOCKS4GROWTH and STEP UP PROGAMME

- The Learning Initiative and Knysna Education Trust are the two SSO’s funded to run
programmes in identified facilities/ entities/ sites to support children within the ECD age
group towards achieving their developmental milestones.

- The programmes afford at risk 4–5-year-olds and 5–6-year-olds an opportunity to

progress developmentally to better meet the demands of their learning environment

- The programmes support parents and practitioners to enhance their skills and knowledge
to support the development of at-risk children.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION FOR FINANCIAL YEAR
2022/23

Financial year 2022/23

95 approved sites across the province

Financial Implications

The Learning Initiative budget allocation for 2021/22 – R7 637 300. 00

Knysna Education Trust budget allocation for 2021/22 – R1 917 052. 00

 Statistics Jan–May 2022: Blocks4Growth (4–5-year-old)
  TLI KET TOTAL

No. of sites 70 26 96
No. of children screened 1398 492 1890
No. of children identified ‘at risk’ 918 210 1128
No. of children in groups (some added) 969 284 1253
No. of group sessions presented to date 1441 567 2008
No. of children in individual therapy 18 24 42
No. of children in individual sessions to date 71 39 110

No. of stimulation packs distributed * 1583 882 2465

No. of teachers in training 96 54 150
No. of teacher training sessions presented to date 389 88 477

No. of parent meetings attended to date ** 32 5 37

No. of parent attendees 704 41 745

Statistics Jan-May 2022: Step Up Programme(5–6-year-old)

No. of sites 9*
No. of children screened 324
No. of children identified ‘at risk’ 227
No. of children in groups (some added) 249
No. of group sessions presented to date 294
No. of children in individual therapy 10
No. of children in individual sessions to date 44
No. of stimulation packs distributed ** 374
No. of teachers in training 15
No. of teacher training sessions presented to date 79
No. of parent meetings held to date *** 5
No. of parent attendees 200
ECD : Practitioner Training and Development
 Training: ECD (Birth to Four years)our years
 Since 2017 the WCED has embarked on an extensive training drive on the NCF
 Our six Technical Vocational Education and Training(TVET) colleges in the WC has trained 8357
practitioners, using an NCF Manual developed by the WCED.
 Initially the training was face to face. Due to COVID 19 the model of training changed to a blended online
training course.
 All participants are certificated and the implementation of NCF is monitored by fieldworkers of the TVET
colleges.
 Learning Programme evaluations are linked to the Early Learning Developmental Areas (ELDAs).
 Participants receive the NCF Overview Document, NCF WC Training Manual flyers for parents and
Posters.
 All NCF training is monitored by Head Office and District Officials.
 A circular is sent to indicate training periods, registration is done by the six TVET colleges.
 Monitoring of implementation of NCF needs to be strengthened
Integrated, holistic ECD provisioning will therefore build a coherent starting phase within the continuum of lifelong
learning.
ECD : Practitioner Training and Development

 WCED uses the Expanded Public Works Programme Conditional Grant and Equitable Share Funds to
provide learnerships that the six TVET colleges for levels 1, 4 and 5 training

 All courses at the six TVET colleges are accredited course

 ECD practitioners on learnerships benefit from a monthly stipend of R2 274.

 1640 practitioners were enrolled at TVET colleges to complete ECD Levels 1, 4 or 5 courses offered.
 An additional 270 practitioners could be enrolled with the  funding support of the Expanded Public Works
Programme (EPWP).
 The funding enabled the employment of 32 unemployed matriculants as Support Programme Assistants at
TVET colleges, Head and District Offices.
 18 classroom assistants were employed (September 2020 to March 2021) to assist TVET colleges in
adherence with the Disaster Risk Management Act during the COVID-19.
GRADE R: CURRICULUM
Gr R Statistics in the WCED
2022 Grade R Data
Status of Schools No. of Facilities No. of Learners
Public Ordinary Schools 989 68917

WCED Grade R Schools 8 689

ECD Community Sites 323 15376

Independent Schools 217 5449

Special Schools 24 240

Total: 90671
Grade R Curriculum Implementation

- The following are standard interventions across the province for Grade R:
- The educational districts as part of the Subject Advisers workplan includes the following:

Provincial Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) workshops

Blended Approach:
 Common provincial workshop: 18 to 24 hours
 Standards and standardisation
 Provincial CAPS Resource File
 Cluster support by Grade R and FP SAs where possible
 Classroom support by Grade R and FP SAs where possible
 PLCs supported by lead teachers
Grade R Curriculum Implementation
WCED Provincial Grade R Emergent Literacy Training (ELIT):
 Training done by districts, top up of new and untrained practitioners
 Classroom support by HODs, Grade R and FP SAs where possible
 PLCs supported by lead teachers
 
Grade R School Based Assessment (SBA) workshops:
 Workshops will be held at district level regarding Curriculum and Assessment Management
Minute 0001/2018
 The emphasis is on continuous informal assessment to enhance teaching and learning
 Classroom support by HODs, Grade R and FP SAs where possible
 PLCs supported by lead teachers
Grade R Curriculum Implementation

The impact on the state of Grade R curriculum:

 Due to the lack of Grade R subject advisors in the districts to monitor the implementation of Grade
R CAPS the quality of teaching and learning is impacted.

 The subject advisors are not specifically trained in Grade R but in the different projects e.g.,
RMaths and ELIT.

 Materials for training provided to districts from Head Office budget.

 The specification for the materials was refined for procurement in this financial year.
The End!!

Thank you

Ruth Leukes
021 467 258
Ruth.Leukes@westerncape.gov.za
North Wharf Square 1, Floor 13,