MEC Panyaza Lesufi says department to focus on Early Childhood Development this year

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says his department will place focus on improving Early Childhood Development (ECD) after the function was shifted from the Social Development Department to the Department of Basic Education this year.

He said this included the universalization of grade R and the expansion of compulsory ECD before grade one.

Lesufi and other MECs of departments under the social and governance cluster highlighted key programmes this year after tabling their budget votes for the 2022/2023 financial year.

He tabled a budget of R59.7 billion April which marked a 10.5% increase of from last year which was partly influenced by the migration of the ECD function.

Lesufi said his department published eight crucial pillars to ensure the smooth migration of ECD to his department and these included birth to four years old ECD programmes, building new facilities, the development of an ECD human resource strategic workforce plan, among others.

“With this migration, almost 2,000 educators that used to be ECD practitioners are now being employed as PL1 educators. We have almost 400 or so that we are taking through training because the investment in ECD means the right person who must be an educator must stand in front of a learner.”

ECD received 3.3% of the overall budget, which only caters to uphold the current level of provision, while 70% will go towards salaries.

“We are a human resource intensive department, so, 70% of our budget goes to salaries which is the payment of teachers, staff members.”

Lesufi said the ECD function would continue to be an integrated service with the Department of Social Development.

-EWN

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