All children are born ready to learn – but what happens next?
The University of Johannesburg says quality early learning starts with asking ‘what if’?
From the time of conception to the first day in grade one, development happens at a pace exceeding that of any subsequent stage of life. Are we tapping into this unique phase of development? Are we making the most of it? Do we know how to step into the young child’s mind in order to understand what is required to ensure their needs are addressed? Do we really understand how much these early years matter in the larger scheme of lifelong development?
Over one million children are born in South Africa each year. If the current economic growth continues to expand at the current rate, and fertility rates continue to drop, the local population will expand from 50.6 million to 58.5 million by 2030.
It is also expected that, although the majority of children will be living in urban areas, the number of children living in rural areas will remain significantly high. In these rural areas, early childhood development (ECD) programmes are less available than in urban areas. ECD programmes are not accessible to the majority of children. ECD is also disrupted by factors such environmental and social influences, physical and mental health issues, language and educational barriers. Unfortunately, the consequences can be severe and long-lasting.
The multifaceted nature of ECD has made it an internationally recognised political priority, and the University of Johannesburg’s department of childhood education is at the forefront of changing the educational landscape for the betterment of all African children.
Through key research projects, collaboration on an international scale and ongoing development of ground-breaking innovations, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) is making a significant impact in the ECD domain.
The positive impact starts with reimagining a brighter future for the children of Africa. UJ is doing this by developing building blocks for the future. Each time we ask ourselves: “what if?” we are placing another building block in order to close the gaps.
What if we could intervene successfully in children’s lives and increase the odds of favourable development outcomes?
What if we could develop programmes that incorporate options based on children’s interests? What if we could take cognisance of the fact that each individual is unique and that a “one-size-fits-all” educational system is not ideal? When we “cleverly” develop these early learning programmes, do we even acknowledge that learning starts with personal motivation and specific interest?
We know that the development of children is a highly complex process that is influenced by interplay of nature and nurture. Nature shapes how children respond to their experiences, but how often do we ask children to observe the natural environment around them? Children may be able to develop language, science, technology and engineering skills by examining the natural world around them. Perhaps we can go back to basics and utilise what is given to us by nature to teach our children.
The role and influence of parents, caregivers and teachers throughout this most crucial period of a child’s life is immeasurable. What if we all work together, instead of in silos, combining resources, knowledge and expertise to further our reach to more children? Perhaps we could teach our students, parents, caregivers and teachers how children think, how they operate and how they use language to respond to mathematical and scientific concepts.
It may be possible to bridge the gap between teaching in a home language and teaching in a non-familiar language. We need to ensure children make the connections concep- tually in order to understanding their subjects.
We must provide all our children with a safe, healthy and stimulating environment in which they can learn and grow. What if we could create and maintain early childhood stimulation programmes that will enable our country’s future generations to have a real impact on our economy for the better?
Just imagine a place in time where all children have equal opportunities and access to early childhood programmes of equally high quality. A place where each and every child has a fair and equal chance to develop his or her full potential.
The future is ours to create — or crush. We have a choice. We can sit back and wait and see, or we can act now to ensure the future of our children is bright and that they will reach their full potential. We can work together to eliminate the negative consequences of poverty, nutritional deficiencies and inadequate learning opportunities and ensure healthy brain development in early childhood for the overall health, wellbeing, and competence of future populations.
Article based on interview with head of department, Professor Elizabeth Henning