The Africa Zonal Early Childhood Development Community of Practice members gathered in Cape Town for a five-day conference to share research, generate new knowledge by reviewing existing gaps within ECDs in the zone, and develop recommendations/solutions to these gaps that will enhance ECD centres in Africa to deliver quality tangible results and practices in Early Childhood Education.
The conference participants engaged a variety of stakeholders outside The Salvation Army to help establish cross-institutional synergies and learning that will enable the Zone to develop ECDs in different Territories to be hubs of excellence. The conference provided opportunities for participants to share experiences, resulting in new opportunities for participants to review and develop resources recommended for use as standards for ECDs in the Zone.
In the ongoing deliberations of the Community of Practice, members have also recommended various training programmes for administrators, teachers/practitioners, and the promotion of the standardization of Early Childhood practices for professionals to enhance the quality of education for children. All the recommendations support the overarching goals and outcomes of the Zonal Community Development strategic framework and the International Educational strategy.
Currently, the Southern Africa Territory has showcased and highlighted ECDs in the Western Cape Division as hubs of excellence through the ongoing community development project of strengthening Early Childhood Education supported by SAWSO in three different communities: Bonteheuwel, Manenberg, and Mitchell’s Plain. The success of developing these ECDs as places of excellence has been powered by intentional collaborations of various stakeholders bringing varied expertise in different trainings to administrators and practitioners. Additionally, structural renovations have significantly improved the overall quality of early childhood education and infrastructure in these different marginalized communities.
Throughout the conference, delegates had opportunities for robust discussions pertaining to enhanced teaching strategies in ECDs, the power of collaboration, and the incorporation of cultural relevance to ensure quality education is provided.
