Education - Early Childhood Development (ECD) infrastructure projects, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng
Developing ECD infrastructure is one of the Bank’s flagship projects as it straddles both of our CSI focus sectors, education and health.
Developing ECD infrastructure is one of the Bank’s flagship projects as it straddles both of our CSI focus sectors, education and health. Early childhood development encompasses physical, socio-emotional, cognitive and motor development between 0 – 8 years of age. These are critical years in a child’s development as it is the period in life when the brain develops most rapidly and has a high capacity to change, laying the foundation for health and wellbeing throughout life. Continuous care from preconception through the formative early years is needed to safeguard and maximise children’s developmental outcomes.
The Bank supports government’s goal of promoting early childhood development through the provision of ECD infrastructure facilities including educational infrastructure, comprising modified shipping containers or prefabricated structures, as well as learning and playing equipment.
Parents are a key stakeholder group to be considered when engaging with ECD’s and schools in facilitating the delivery of ECD infrastructure. South African legislation prescribes that parents can and should influence the way Government-funded Grade R is organised in a school, through participation in parents’ meetings, and school governing body representatives. Other key stakeholders include the Departments of Education and Social Development, traditional leaders and municipalities. Engagement with all relevant stakeholders has been ongoing throughout the process from need identification, provision and handover of the ECD infrastructure.
In the year under review, the Bank delivered several ECD infrastructure facilities.
- Limpopo – four fully equipped, government compliant ECD infrastructure facilities
- North West – two fully equipped, government compliant ECD infrastructure facilities with environmentally friendly and safe sanitation facilities as well as water catchment facilities to use for hygiene purposes and in vegetable gardens
- Gauteng – two fully equipped, government compliant ECD infrastructure facilities were supplied to primary schools in the promotion of the government model in which ECDs are attached to primary schools.
SDG: The provision of ECD infrastructure contributes to SDGs 1, 4, 9 & 10, 11 through providing infrastructure that will enable improved quality of teaching and learning for children in their critical formative years enhancing their potential for socio-economic success in life and develop communities.
two fully equipped, government compliant ECD infrastructure facilities with environmentally friendly and safe sanitation facilities as well as water catchment facilities to use for hygiene purposes and in vegetable gardens.
four fully equipped, government compliant ECD infrastructure facilities.
two fully equipped, government compliant ECD infrastructure facilities were supplied to primary schools in the promotion of the government model in which ECDs are attached to primary school.