Implications of public funding for early learning in South Africa: a case of Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality in Gauteng

Abstract

Preschool education is arguably one of the most important phases of education throughout the entire education system. This research report was aimed at exploring broad implications of dissemination of public funds (or lack thereof) in the earliest years of learning, what is generally known as Early Childhood Development Education. It found that whilst current public funding modalities have played a tremendous role in helping ECD practitioners reach more children, the magnitude of these funds and overall investments on the sector have been very little. Of the three sub-categories of ECD centres (registered, unregistered, and Grade R) sampled in this study, the latter was found to have gained the most from the recent increases (albeit small) in funding of ECDs. The study found that a large majority (80%) of preschool practitioners know about funding support offered by the state, however, they were not sure how it was allocated, and how they could access it. Central to the findings of this research report is the turbulent policy environment that the ECD sector has been facing due to uncoordinated interventions which only culminated into a single overarching draft national policy of 2015, which is still under scrutiny. Second to this, are the structural and operational challenges such as inadequate monitoring and evaluation of preschools by government, poor management of financial records by preschools, lack of adequate infrastructure and learning materials, and widespread red tape in registration and application of funds processes.