Compulsory two-year ECD before Grade 1

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) plans a two-year compulsory Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme before starting Grade 1. The aim is to improve the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy, especially ‘reading with meaning’.

According to Basic Education Minister Angie Motsega, ‘To achieve that goal, we need to urgently proceed with the implementation of the two years of ECD before Grade 1 and the systematic relocation of the responsibility for ECD from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education.’ She further said that the, ‘DBE will develop a comprehensive plan for the different work streams involved in the ECD function shift (Grade R, Grade RR, and Birth to 4), in collaboration with the relevant partners in government. A costed plan for the ECD function shift will be finalised by March 2020.’