NORTHERN CAPE – Newly published research on the development of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Northern Cape paints an improved picture compared to findings from the past three years.
Commissioned by two solar plants in Kimberley and De Aar, the study assessed a sample of children aged four to five years, and its encouraging results have earned formal commendation from the Northern Cape Department of Basic Education (NCDoE).
Using the Early Learning Outcome Measure, the study assessed children across five developmental domains. The following results were found:
- gross motor development − 89% are on track;
- emergent literacy and language − 88% are on track;
- cognitive and executive functioning − 82% are on track;
- emergent numeracy and mathematics − 77% are on track; and
- fine motor co-ordination and visual motor integration − 60% are on track.
“The 2022 Thrive by 5 Index reported that only 37,4% of children in the Northern Cape were developmentally on track. The results of our research study are encouraging for the future, considering that we have managed to achieve an over 40% overall increase in only three years.”- Tandaza Teka, economic development specialist for both Droogfontein Solar Power and De Aar Solar Power
The solar plants’ ECD programmes form part of their broader socio-economic development commitment to prioritising quality education, particularly in early learning, as a foundation for long-term success.
These ECD performance assessments were conducted across several months in 2024 by accredited and independent assessors, and facilitated by Custoda Trust, a registered and accredited training and development service provider.
Adding to the impact of this investment into ECD in the province, the NCDoE noted the advantages.
“This initiative also contributes towards the attainment of universal access to quality ECD, prioritising the most vulnerable children, as proposed by the South African Government in its vision and impact statement for 2030.”
The full reports are available at deaarsolar.co.za.
