Intellectual stimulation and the development of social skills are crucial elements of the brain’s development, and society benefits from having citizens with a quest for lifelong learning and mature social and emotional skills. The end product is a society with successful adults, able to contribute meaningfully to the economy and the country.
But, unfortunately, in South Africa, this is not fully recognised, and so many children’s potential is limited by not attending a suitable learning environment in their earliest years.
According to Bev Da Costa, the CEO of ORT SA CAPE, “Our organisation is addressing this shortfall through the provision of Early Childhood Development (ECD) training, which means that there are now more qualified and certified ECD practitioners making a contribution in the Western Cape.” The need for this training has been even greater since the Department of Basic Education introduced a policy in terms of which all ECD practitioners will have to hold a qualification at NQF level 4 or higher to continue practising in the field.
The courses offered by the organisation cover key elements of childhood development: literacy, numeracy, perceptual skills, cognitive development, coding and robotics, and purposeful play.
Students on the ORT programmes are trained not only as ECD practitioners but also receive valuable soft skills. “We regularly hear from school principals that ORT students stand out for their punctuality, lesson planning and teaching methods, as well as their work ethic. This reflects the all-round life skills that forms part of our training.”
Taking account of the realities of many of their student’s lives, people chosen for the ORT training receive a stipend while they are learning. Charné Swartz, a graduate of the 2022-23 ORT ECD internship and learnership, explains: “I received a stipend to obtain a Level 4 Further Education and Training in Early Childhood Development Certificate. It was a quality programme that equipped me with knowledge and skills I now use in my classroom. I highly recommend the Early Childhood Development internship and learnership with ORT.”
The training of these ECD practitioners and teachers has a significantly positive impact on children’s lives. Charné, now a teacher at Kensington Educare Centre, says, “I believe that I have impacted the children’s lives by creating a classroom where they can feel a sense of belonging and learn through play.” She comments that, “The training helped me grow my passion for education and young children, and today I am helping little minds grow.”
In addition to the education and development of young children, the ORT SA CAPE’s programmes serve to provide unemployed people with the chance to earn a living, either as a salaried teaching assistant or teacher, or as the owner of their own ECD facility.
One of ORT’s 2022 graduates, Zintle Mhlana, opened her own ECD in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay this year. She explains that she “was accepted for the ORT SA CAPE training. I gained so much knowledge from this, and I had the confidence to open my own centre, called Little Scholars Academy, where I now have 14 children. I received resources from ORT which have been very valuable for my centre. The ORT family were very kind and always willing to assist. They motivated me to achieve, and I am grateful for that.”
ORT SA CAPE has offered this ECD qualification since 2015, positively impacting hundreds of lives through it.
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