The two-day Human Resource Development Council Early Childhood Development (ECD) Indaba themed: Providing the Children of KwaZulu-Natal a Flying Start to the Future commenced today, on Thursday, 17 March 2022 and is set to end on Friday, 18 March 2022 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC).
This prestigious event is hosted by the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and the University of South Africa (Unisa).
Representing DUT at the ECD Indaba will be the Co-operative Education Department. According to DUT’s Director: Co-Operative Education, Mr Shakeel Ori, the Indaba comes after DUT managed a very successful SAUPEC Conference in Janury 2022. “The Co-operative Education Department was asked to manage this important ECD Indaba as DUT is a co-host and a sponsor. More emphasis is being given to ECD and the sector has been moved from Social Development to Basic Education,” said Mr Ori.
He added that DUT’s Child and Youth Development and Education Department are active participants and moderators of the Indaba as the training of ECD practitioners will be prioritised to ensure that ECD gets the attention it deserves.
According to the Head of Provincial Government Communication, Mr Lennox Mabaso the KZN Provincial Government, led by the Premier, Mr Sihle Zikalala, is reimagining the future of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the province and is investing in teacher training to better equip children in their earliest academic years – between infancy and kindergarten (preschool) age – which is the most critical years of a child’s life.
Mabaso indicated that Zikalala will be joined by MECs, experts, academia and various stakeholders in the education sector who will form part of this thought-provoking engagement.
According to Mabaso the ECD Indaba aims to achieve the following outcomes:
1. Key interventions to be implemented to improve on the performance of the ECD sector.
2. The impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution on the ECD sector.
3. The position the ECD sector as an economic driver-mainly women-owned small, medium and micro-enterprise.
4. Roles and responsibilities of the national, provincial, and local spheres of government in ECD service provision and support.
In the two days ECD practitioners will get a chance to engage with the ECD sector in coming up with solutions and a way forward on some of the challenges they face.
Pictured: KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Mr Sihle Zikalala who will be the main speaker at the ECD Indaba.
Picture credit: Polity.org
Simangele Zuma
