Johannesburg: President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday officially open the Bana Pele Early Childhood Development (ECD) Leadership Summit at the Atlas Studios, in Johannesburg. The summit is an initiative by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) aimed at mobilising a public and private coalition to support the DBE’s 2030 ECD Roadmap for quality, universal access to early learning.
According to South African Government News Agency, more than 1.3 million children in South Africa are not enrolled in any form of ECD programme, which leaves them without the foundational literacy and numeracy skills required for success in school. This learning gap affects their ability to excel in critical subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Accounting, and Economics in later years, which are essential skills for innovation, economic growth, and job creation.
The summit will bring together representatives from government, business, civil society, and education experts to develop a roadmap for universal access to quality ECD across the country. The Presidency emphasized that this initiative is crucial in ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to the early learning opportunities necessary for thriving in life.