Early Resource Unit chief executive officer, Tracy Fortune, said more investment should be made for the critical work they do in the early childhood development sector.
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A non-profit organisation working with under-resourced Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres has called for urgent investment to bridge the educational gap.
The Early Learning Resource Unit (Elru), based in Lansdowne, has been training staff at ECD centres, assisting with infrastructure, zoning, health and safety compliance, learning material, and registration, for more than 50 years. However, chief executive officer (CEO), Tracy Fortune, pointed out that they need urgent investment for their work to continue, as the government only provides funding to Elru to help ECD centres with the registration process.
Elru currently has 70 staff members and 1 000 community-based fieldworkers. Ms Fortune said that a solid ECD foundation is imperative for a child’s development.
“Early childhood development is the most critical period of development. Everything that happens in a child’s first seven years is the pathway to the rest of their lives. Any development delay will affect the child for the rest of their lives. If there are better health outcomes, there will be less school drop-outs, and with improved schooling, there will be less anti-social behaviour. What we found is that children who don’t receive a solid ECD lag developmentally. A study has found that among Grade 4 children in the country, up to 80% cannot read to understand. Underdevelopment has a ripple effect and has led to 50% drop-out rates. How can the country build an economy with underdevelopment? If we don’t invest in ECD, we will have to remediate the problem later, which might not have the same outcomes,” Ms Fortune said.
Nwabisa Manana, principal at Nosiseko Educare Centre in Gugulethu, is proud to say she is a competent practitioner because of Elru’s training.
Image: Supplied
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized the crucial role of ECD in shaping the future of South Africa. He added that it plays a critical role in developing early literacy, early numeracy, and social-emotional skills during an important time in a child’s cognitive development.
In order to turn the lack of development at ECD level around, Elru needs donors and funders to partner with them, Ms Fortune said.
“These critical issues all boil down to a lack of funding. To turn this situation around, we need donors and funders to partner with us to change the status quo. Elru’s holistic approach, combined with a commitment to promoting access, quality, and innovation, ensures that we remain a leader in shaping the future of early childhood education,” she added.
Programmes offered to ECD centres include Elru’s Centre Support Programme (CSP).
“Effective centre management practices are critical in creating high-quality learning environments at ECD centres. Our (CSP) provides ECD centre principals and practitioners with the training and tools necessary for sound governance, leadership, and operational best practices. Within the CSP the key trainings are finance; leadership; governance; and the Site Learning Programme (SLP). Together, this training equips ECD centre principals and practitioners with the skills needed to manage centres effectively and provide quality early learning experiences,” Ms Fortune said.
The CSP is a one-year initiative currently funded by Coronation Fund Managers and is operational in Crossroads, Gugulethu and Nyanga.
Nwabisa Manana, principal at Nosiseko Educare Centre in Gugulethu, said: “I am very proud to say today I am a competent practitioner through Elru’s training. As soon as I started to understand all the ELDAs (Early Learning and Development Areas) and aims that underpin the NCF (National Curriculum Framework) and implement all the learning, it helped me a lot. The method that our facilitator is doing, to share what we have learnt after every session and also to recap before a new session, it worked very well for me because I was telling myself I have to grab everything from the discussions and put it into practice."
She added: "That really helped me. I have grown a lot. My classroom is no longer chaotic as it used to be, because planning is what I love and enjoy doing, after I have learnt how to plan. I did all these things at the college but I didn’t understand it fully as we were just reading the books at our training. With Elru, everything is practical so it is much easier to understand. I am no longer struggling to plan play-based activities. I appreciate the work that Elru is doing in our communities. Keep up the good work."
Elru calls on stakeholders, philanthropists, corporate partners, and government bodies to support ECD initiatives, ensuring that every child has a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.
Elru is hosting one of its biggest fundraising events, by selling tickets for the Jive Funny Festival on Saturday June 7, at 8pm at the Baxter theatre.
“By supporting us and purchasing a ticket, you are helping Elru provide a good start for children in the most vulnerable communities,” Ms Fortune said.
For more information on Elru’s programmes and how to get involved, visit www.elru.co.za or email reception@elru.co.za or contact 021 762 7500.