By Lerato Mutlanyane
The safety and security of children in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres are in the spotlight, with concerns raised about the safety of children at unregistered centres..
According to the G20 Free State Provincial Education Indaba report which was issued during the Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube’s Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive that took place in Bloemfontein last week, Thursday, the Free State currently has 1606 registered ECDs and 227 are unregistered.
The report states that out of 1606 ECD sites the department funds 1401 sites.
According to ECD practitioners, some of the challenges that they face are those of safety and security at their ECD sites.
They say they do not have the money to improve infrastructure and security for the children.
They also say one of the biggest challenges they face is failing to meet the norms and standards required to be a registered and funded ECD because of the poor infrastructure.
Recent criminal incidents at unregistered centres have in the past put the department under scrutiny.
In May last year, a 23-year-old male assistant was arrested for raping a three-year-old girl on the premises of an unregistered ECD.
The male assistant raped the little girl in the toilet of the ECD.
The Department of Education laid criminal charges against the man and permanently shut the ECD centre down.
Gwarube in an interview with Journal News emphasised the importance of safety and security in ECD centres.
She said at the Thuso Imdaad ECD Centre which was used as a presentation to aspiring ECD owners on what an ECD centre must look like for it to qualify for registration and funding.
“We are working with the Department of Justice and our partners to vet ECD practitioners against the Child Protection and Sexual Offences registers.
“We also have a Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Police Service to ensure police visibility in designated areas,” she said.
Gwarube’s comments come amid efforts to improve safety and security in ECD centres, including increased collaboration between government departments and law enforcement agencies.
Glory Mofokeng, owner of Graeme Young Day Care Centre in Phase 4, expressed frustration about the limited funding allocated by the Department of Education.
“The Department of Education has allocated funding, but it’s not enough. The President promised an increase, but nothing has been done, and it is impossible to upscale our centres with such little money,” she said.
