INVEST IN ECD TO SHAPE THE NEXT GENERATION, SAYS PRESIDENT

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has advocated for quality universal access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes, so every young child has the chance to learn, grow and thrive.
• The president was addressing the Bana Pele 2030 Roadmap Leadership Summit in Johannesburg on 17 March 2025.
• ECD is one of the most powerful tools for unlocking the nation’s potential, President Ramaphosa told the summit.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has advocated for universal access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive by the age of five.

The president was delivering remarks at the official opening of the Bana Pele 2030 Roadmap Leadership Summit at Atlas Studios, in Johannesburg.

“Universal childhood development should have started 30 years ago … We are all here today because of our shared belief in the profound importance of Bana Pele – putting children first.

“It is because of this shared vision that we unite and collaborate today, committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive by the age of five,” the president said on Monday, 17 March 2025.

The president told the summit that government’s immediate focus is to extend access to early childhood development to every child calling it one of the most powerful tools for unlocking the nation’s potential.

Shaping the next generation

He emphasised that ECD extends beyond education, it is a key driver of economic growth.

“We recognise today that investing in ECD is not just about education. It is about shaping the next generation of skilled, capable and entrepreneurial citizens who will drive our economy forward.

“Investing in ECD yields significant economic returns. Studies have shown that every rand spent on early childhood education can save up to seven rands in future costs associated with remedial education, social services and criminal justice,” the President said.

He highlighted that early childhood development provides children with the foundational skills they need to build a successful future. It further helps break the cycle of poverty that is handed down from one generation to the next. 

“Early childhood development is about giving children from all backgrounds the opportunity to grow into confident, capable citizens who contribute positively to society. Children who receive a strong start are more likely to succeed in school and the workforce, reducing societal costs in areas such healthcare, crime prevention and welfare,” the President said.

A research report published to coincide with Brazil’s G20 Presidency estimated that in South Africa, an investment of 2.1% of the gross domestic product in universal childcare could have supported 10.5 million women to join the workforce over three years.

Because of the profound effect that ECD can have on social well-being and development, the President said the government had decided to put the country’s children first.

Last week, the Minister of Finance announced an additional investment of R10-billion in ECD over the next three years.

ECD lays foundation for literacy and numeracy

The President referred to the statistic that 80% of children in South Africa are unable to read for meaning by the age of 10. He emphasised that early childhood development was critical for developing foundational skills such as language, literacy and numeracy.

President Ramaphosa added that the experiences and interactions children have can significantly influence their future learning potential.

“This is why ECD must be treated as an urgent priority. We therefore welcome this wonderful initiative for business, civil society and government to work together to shape the future of early childhood development.

“This initiative will assist the strategic reorientation of the basic education sector to strengthen foundation learning. The benefits of universal access to ECD extend beyond the education of the child. It helps to empower families to break free from the effects of poverty.”

President Ramaphosa called on all ECD programmes to register with the Department of Basic Education so that all children can receive the start in life that they need and deserve.

He noted that the ripple effects of a robust ECD system are felt across generations, fostering a cycle of opportunity and growth.

Rethinking and restructuring ECD landscape

“We are determined that every child, regardless of their background or location, must have access to quality early education. It is for this reason that the Department of Basic Education launched the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive last year,” he said.

The President said that the Mass Registration Drive was an example of cross-sectoral collaboration at work. He added that the country has an opportunity to rethink and restructure the entire ECD landscape, making it more effective, more inclusive and more impactful than ever before.

“As South Africans, we have a clear goal for all our children: access to quality learning opportunities for an additional 1.3 million children by 2030. This is why we are here today.

“We need to create a collaborative framework for ECD. One that brings together government, business, donors, ECD workers and all other social partners,” he said.

He said this framework must ensure that all role-players work together at both the provincial and municipal levels to improve access to quality early childhood education.

“As we move forward, we must remember that there is no greater cause than uniting for the benefit of our children. Our future as a nation depends on the children we raise today. We must commit to creating an environment where every child, no matter where they come from, has the opportunity to learn, to grow and to succeed.

“Let us join hands and work together, as a united force, to achieve our shared vision of universal access to quality early childhood development,” the President said.

This article was first published by SA News on 17 March 2025