ECD Census 2021 at a Glance {Department of Basic Education};- The Department of Basic Education has commissioned the ECD Census 2021 to collect data on all Early Childhood Development programmes in the country to better understand early childhood development landscape in South Africa.
ECD Census 2021 at a Glance
- Nationwide count of every ECD programme throughout South Africa
- Highlight opportunities to improve the quality of learning for each child
- Part of the preparation for function shift for ECD from Department of Social Development to Basic Education
- Data will be collected between August and December 2021
- Information will integrate ECD into the Education Management Information System (EMIS)
- Inform education support and play-based
Help map the Early Childhood Development landscape in SA
The Departments of Basic Education and Social Development, together with the LEGO Foundation, need each and every ECD programme to provide information for the ECD Census 2021.
The Department of Basic Education has adopted play-based learning as a fundamental principle. Working with the LEGO Foundation, UNICEF and various stakeholders active in the ECD space, the South African government is developing policies to bring play-based learning into classrooms and pre-school facilities nationwide.
The partners want to understand how best to unlock the power of play to learn and invest in the future during the earliest stages of children’s development.
The ECD Census 2021 will collect basic data on every
ECD Programme
The ECD Census 2021 will count all registered and non-registered ECD programmes to build a data management information system for the ECD sector.
Funded by the LEGO Foundation, the data and indicators will also provide a basic assessment of the enabling environment for quality learning through play.
The first national census will highlight opportunities to broaden the access to quality learning for every child in South Africa.
The information gathered will be used to integrate ECD into the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and expand education support and play-based learning programmes.
The survey will also make observations on the facilities available at the sites to enable planning for greater inclusion of children with disabilities and the delivery of integrated health and safety programmes.
Allow fieldworkers to visit your ECD Programme to collect data
During data collection, fieldworkers contracted by Ikapadata, a survey research company, will make an appointment to visit each ECD programme to conduct interviews with the principal or relevant representative and record observations.
BASIC INFORMATION INTERVIEW
- Type of service and programme
- Operating times
- Number of registered children
- Number and qualifications of the staff
- Fees and funding structures
- Affiliations
- Registration status
- Access to nutrition programmes
- Attitudes towards learning and playing
FACILITY OBSERVATION
- GPS location
- Basic infrastructure
- Sanitation facilities
- Availability of electricity
- Indoor and outdoor space
- Play equipment
- Learning resources
The timing of the visits and interviews will accommodate the risk-adjusted levels announced by the government to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus. All Covid-19 related safety precautions and measures will be strictly observed by the fieldworkers conducting the ECD Census 2021.
The ECD Census 2021 is a public-private partnership
Responsibility for leading and coordinating the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector is moving from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education.
This allows the Department of Basic Education to manage the educational journey of children from their first engagement with a play-based programme until they finish Grade 12.
The Department of Basic Education wants to ensure equal access for all children to quality play-based learning. A key barrier to effective planning in the ECD sector is the lack of data on ECD programmes and data systems.
Since 2009, the LEGO Foundation has partnered with organisations to build a better future for children in South Africa by helping improve the quality of education through play-based learning.
The LEGO Foundation is invested in supporting the government to build the systems that will enable quality learning through play to thrive in ECD settings.