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IMBALI EDUCATION AND INNOVATION PRECINCT (IEIP) HELD AN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT INDABA

IMBALI EDUCATION AND INNOVATION PRECINCT (IEIP) HELD AN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT INDABA

The Imbali Education and Innovation Precinct (IEIP) through the DUT Project Management Office recently hosted an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Indaba for creche teachers and principals at uMgungundlovu TVET College-Midlands Campus (Boardroom).

The programme director for the event was the Imbali Education and Innovation Precinct (IEIP) Project Manager: Mr Mfanozelwe Shozi. He requested all the members to introduce themselves and highlight what they admire about the organisations they are working for.

After the introduction Mr Shozi briefed everyone about the programme and expressed that he is happy that most of the people have honoured the invitation and attended.

“The important part about this programme is that it is an outreach programme, it is not only for the Durban University of Technology (DUT) but it is a project governed by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande, aiming to share information, work in collaboration, and help where needed. Although the project is based at Imbali it is open to help worldwide,” he added.

uMgungundlovu TVET Senior Project Coordinator: Ms Thulisile Mbhense facilitated the discussion and presented on the programme objectives.

“We are here to understand what are the challenges faced by ECD, unpack those challenges and try to find impactful solutions on how to overcome them,” said Ms Mbhense.

She said the objectives of the IEIP ECD Indaba is to: identify problems faced with ECD Centres and develop sustainable solutions; identify potential stakeholders; Come up with community awareness campaigns and develop an ECD proposal to be shared with relevant stakeholders.

She went to explain that ECD is now a formal sector with young and educated educators and also touched on the legislative framework. She relayed that after research have been done it showed that other countries are performing better on their matric pass rate because their education does not start from Grade One but the investment of teaching a child and the development start at an early stage.

Pictured: Attendees during the ECD Indaba presentations.

Ms T Khanyile (Facilitator) presented on the overview on ECD and focused on the different developments which are physical, cognitive, creative, imaginative, language, emotional, spiritual and moral development.

After the presentation there was a group discussion session and members were requested to discuss the challenges they encountered within their creches and come up with possible solutions.

The first group mentioned that some of their challenges such as parents do not attend meetings, sending children to school unwell and not disclosing serious illness and electricity. Group two challenges discussed were step parents’ ill treatments, insufficient resources, lack of funding and community poverty. Group 3 challenges were failure of parents to complete application papers, staff absences, water shortages, and late admission of children. Group 4 challenges, parents’ failure to pay school fees, a lack of money that causes staff payments to be delayed, criminality in the neighbourhood, students arriving late, and unapproved certificates from private training facilities. They all also suggested some impactful solutions.

In closing Mr Shozi, thanked everyone and stated that he will engage with the Department of Basic Education to find a way forward.

Pictured: Attendees at the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Indaba,

Zanele Mashaba and Nondumiso Maphumulo

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