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In South Africa, there has been recent momentum and political will for establishing ECE measurement systems. Together for Early Childhood Evidence assisted the Department of Basic Education (DBE), USAID and others in communicating the importance of good data systems to a broader group of stakeholders across South Africa.

In 2019, the South Africa country team completed the CPDMA Diagnostic Toolkit, which helped outline key data and measurement priorities. Defining priority areas has been especially important as the DBE recently absorbed national ECD responsibilities from the Department of Social Development.

In 2021, Together for Early Childhood Evidence is supporting a portion of Innovation’s Edge and the DBE’s research in South Africa to promote ECE data generation and utilization. South Africa’s ECE landscape is characterized by a variety of players, including many private and unregistered service providers. The goal of Innovation Edge and the DBE’s South Africa Early Years Index (SAEYI) study is to better understand early childhood education quality in different types of programs (including center and non-center based). A study at this scale has never been done in the country, and the intention is to update the SAEYI every 3-5 years to monitor trends over time. The project involves two data collection exercises. The first is a survey that will audit a sample of ECD programs across the country, conducting site visits, classroom observations, and interviews with principals and practitioners at each site. Together for Early Childhood Evidence research funds will be used to expand the 2021 audit and provide additional resources to conduct the study during COVID-19. This includes the addition of a COVID-19 survey to help understand how the pandemic has affected ECD programs and their staff. Data will be used to support efforts to ensure that more children receive nurturing care and services to promote optimal early childhood outcomes during the pandemic. The second data collection exercise is an assessment of children’s developmental, learning, and psychosocial wellbeing outcomes using the Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM). To date, there is no nationally representative data on preschool child outcomes so this study will provide much needed information to guide ECE policy in South Africa.  Overall, the project contributes to a sustainable, and government-driven strategy to support regular monitoring of early learning quality in South Africa. Data will be collected this year with results expected in early 2022.  This work is co-sponsored by USAID and First National Bank (FNB).

Key Indicators from South Africa

 Data from UNESCO and UNICEF and South Africa Early Childhood Review

Country Team Members