Ezikhathini ezinzima zomnotho, kuba nzima ezinhlanganweni ezingezona ezikahulumeni (ama-NPO) ezisebenza emkhakheni wokuthuthukiswa kwezingane ezisemncane (ECD) ukuqoqa imali eyanele yokusiza abantu abasengozini enkulu eNingizimu Afrika.
Manje izinhlangano eziyisithupha KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) – iZero2Five Trust, LETCEE, Lulamaphiko, Midlands Community College, Singakwenza kanye neThanda – sezibambisene ukuze zakhe okokuqala ngqa ezweni uhlelo olubizwa nge-Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) Community of Practice (COP), ngenhloso yokwabelana ngolwazi, amakhono kanye nedatha phakathi kwezindawo ezahlukene zasemadolobheni nasezindaweni zasemakhaya okubalwa kuzo uMzinyathi, Zululand, uMkhanyakude, uMgungundlovu, uThukela kanye noUgu.
“Okwehlukile ngalokhu kubambisana wumoya wokuvuleka nokwethembana. Izinhlangano zabelana ngokuphumelela kwazo kanye nezinselelo ezibhekene nazo, kwakheka indawo ephephile yokufunda lapho imibono, izinsiza kanye nokusungula kungahamba ngokukhululeka phakathi kwezinhlelo,” kusho uJulika Falconer, oyi-CEO yeZero2Five Trust eseThekwini.
Uthe lokhu “kuqale phambili kakhulu” futhi kulindeleke ukuthi kube isibonelo esibalulekile emkhakheni we-ECD ezweni lonke.
UFalconer wamukele ukuzibophezela kukaMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa enkulumweni yakhe ye-State of the Nation Address (SONA) yokuphakamisa i-ECD ibe yisisekelo esibalulekile semfundo, ngenhloso yokuthi zonke izingane ezineminyaka engu-zero kuya kweyisihlanu zibe sezinhlanganweni ze-ECD ngo-2030.
Nokho, kusekhona umsebenzi omningi okufanele wenziwe ezingeni lomphakathi, futhi ama-NPO enza ingxenye enkulu yalo msebenzi.
“Ngokwezobuchwepheshe, sivamise ukuncintisana ngabaxhasi abafanayo kulezi zimo zomnotho ezinzima, kodwa sikubeke eceleni lokho ukuze sabelane ngemikhuba yethu emihle namathuluzi ngenhloso eyodwa – ukubona izingane eziningi eKZN zikhula futhi ziphumelele. Sifuna ukusheshisa ukuthuthuka kwemiphumela yokufunda kwezingane ngokuhlanganisa ulwazi, izinsiza kanye nedatha ukuze sithole, sivivinye futhi sabelane ngezinguquko ezincane ezingasetshenziswa ezindaweni ezahlukene. Ngokusebenza ndawonye, sifuna ukufaka isandla esibonakalayo emkhakheni we-ECD eNingizimu Afrika,” kusho yena.
Isinqumo sokubambisana sakhuthazwa yimiphumela yeThrive by Five Index, ucwaningo olukhulu kunazo zonke oluke lwenziwa eNingizimu Afrika oluhlola ukuthuthuka kwezingane zasenkulisa. Lolu cwaningo luhlolisise izingane ezineminyaka ephakathi kuka-50 no-59 izinyanga ezifundazweni eziyisishiyagalolunye ukubona ukuthi ziyahambisana yini nezinga lokuthuthuka elilindelekile.
Imiphumela ikhombisile ukuthi u-55% wezingane zaseNingizimu Afrika ezihambela izinhlelo zokufunda zisencane azikwazi ukwenza imisebenzi yokufunda elindelekile, kanti u-28% wazo usalele emuva kakhulu futhi udinga ukwesekwa okukhulu ukuze zikwazi ukufinyelela kwabanye.
Ucwaningo luphinde lwaveza ukuthi ingane eyodwa kwezingu-18 (u-5.65%) ikhombisa izimpawu zokungondleki isikhathi eside. Izingane ezineminyaka emine kuya kwemihlanu ezikhombisa ukungakhuli kahle ziphakathi kwezinyanga eziyisihlanu kuya kweziyisithupha emuva uma kuqhathaniswa nezingane ezikhula ngokujwayelekile, kanti ezikhombisa ukungakhuli kancane zisalela emuva cishe izinyanga ezi-2.4.
Lezi zibambezeleko zengezwa futhi yizinkinga zenhlalo nezomzwelo. Esigabeni sokuxhumana nabanye kanye nabantu abadala, u-27.5% wezingane awuzange ufinyelele izinga elilindelekile. Lokhu kukhuphuka kube u-33.4% uma kubhekwa ukulungela kwengane ngokozwelo ukuqala isikole. Isibalo sezingane ezingu-20 eziqale uGrade R ngo-2023, eziyisishiyagalombili kuphela ezazinemigogodla efanele, kanti eziyishumi nanye zaqala sezibhekene nobunzima.
“Lokhu kukhombisa isidingo esiphuthumayo sokuqinisa imiphumela yokufunda kwezingane, ikakhulukazi kulezo ezihluleka emakhonweni ayisisekelo njengezibalo, ukuhlanganisa ukunyakaza kwamehlo nezandla kanye nokucabanga okujulile. Ngokusebenzisa ithuluzi le-ELOM, izinhlangano zisebenzisana ukuze ziqonde kangcono ukuthi izingane zithuthuka kanjani futhi zivivinye izinguquko ezincane ezingathuthukisa indlela yokufundisa kanye nezindlela zokufunda,” kuchaza uFalconer.
Uthe isinyathelo esilandelayo kuzoba ukuqeqeshwa kokuqala okuhlanganyelwe kwabaholi bezinhlelo nabaqeqeshi bezinhlangano eziyisithupha.
“Lokhu kubambisana kuzokhiqiza iphakheji lezinsiza zokufunda eziyishumi ezibiza kancane ezenziwe ngezinto eziphinde zisetshenziswe. Lezi zinsiza zizohambisana nemibono yemisebenzi ehlanganisa amasonto angu-20, futhi zizosekela izinguquko ezincane ngokunikeza iziqondiso ezisebenzayo zokuthuthukisa izibalo, ukuvumelanisa ukunyakaza kwamehlo nezandla kanye namakhono okucabanga,” kuphetha yena.
