Date: 13/03/2003
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Padayachee: Mpumalanga Early Childhood Development Forum


KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MPUMALANGA MEC FOR EDUCATION, MR CRAIG PADAYACHEE, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MPUMALANGA EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT FORUM, Valencia Community Hall, 13 March 2003

Programme Director
Regional Directors
Teacher formations
South African Congress for Early Childhood Development (SACECD)
NGOs
CBOs
Regional ECD officials

I feel greatly honoured to be invited to this very important gathering of the Mpumalanga Early Childhood Development sector.

The purpose of this gathering today is to launch the Mpumalanga Early Childhood Development Forum, a body that will be the custodian of the rights of children that are violated worldwide. Efforts are being made globally to address this problem by putting in place structures with identified goals, objectives and action plans to combat all forms of violation of the rights of the child.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, Act 108 of 1996, on children, section 28 (1) provides that: Every child has the right-

a) to a name and nationality from birth;
b) to family care and parental care or to appropriate alternative care when removed from the family environment,
c) to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health cares services and social services
d) to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation
e) to be protected from exploitative labour practices, to mention but a few.

Even though the rights of children are entrenched in the Constitution, the call to "put children first" remains just as urgent today as in the past. Every year in South Africa thousands of children die from malnutrition and diseases. Hundreds of thousands of young children are engaged in various forms of child labour, some trafficked for child prostitution and other social ills, largely as a result of adverse socio-economic conditions. The number of homeless children has risen dramatically. Among those living on streets, substance abuse and glue sniffing remains a regular part of life.

This environment of poverty, which so many children are directly or indirectly affected by, undermines their well being-particularly in rural areas and informal urban settlement. Because poverty is manifested in all sectors, it deserves special attention form a child rights perspective.

HIV/AIDS places great stress on families, households and children. The impact of AIDS on mortality rates among children is rising, and the epidemic will produce a large number of orphans. Presently, in the Province the number of orphans is estimated at -+ 50 000. Addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on children calls for a multi-faceted approach that involves all government department and civil society.

According to the National Policy: Education White Paper Five (5) on Early Childhood Development, there is a need for inter-sectoral collaboration when we consider the indivisible rights of young children. The challenge of providing ECD for children younger than 5 years will require inter-sectoral planning, programmes and implementation. The planning will make effective use of existing resources focused on the target groups.

Presently, the main governmental role players involved in the service delivery of pre-reception year ECD services are the Department of Social Development, Health and Local government and the Office of the Presidency.

According to an address at the opening of the UN General Assembly's Special Session on Children, held on 8 May 2002, a world fit for children in which all children get the best possible start in life and have access to quality basic education has to be created.

Taking into account the best interests of the child, we, as the Department of Education, commit ourselves to implement, among others, the following goals, strategies and action plan with appropriate adaptations to the specific situations and diverse situations and circumstances in the various communities in the Province. I believe this Forum will in fact pursue the similar objectives of:

1. promoting healthy lives
2. promoting quality education
3. protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence
4. combating child labour
5. elimination of trafficking and sexual exploitation of children
6. combating HIV/AIDS
7. mobilising resources
8. follow-up actions and assessment.

In taking the best interest of the child, I indicated in the City Press of 9 March 2003 that the Department has increased its ECD sites to 700 and will look into the curriculum content and train the educators.

In keeping also with the Mission Statement of the Mpumalanga Department of Education, which provides that, "The Mpumalanga Department of Education, working in partnership with all stakeholders, is committed to a learner-centre quality education through capacity building and maximum utilisation of existing resources". We are today launching the Mpumalanga ECD Forum which was established on 02 August 2002 and which comprises the following stakeholders:

* Teacher formation: SADTU, PEU, SAOU
* South African Congress for Early Childhood Development (SACECD)
* NGOs
* Private Sector: Songizwe Trust and BUSCO.

In conclusion, may I once more call on all stakeholders dealing with young children, Government departments, private sector, community based organisations, non-governmental organisations, that are outside this Forum to join it in order to strengthen the partnership so that we can deliver ECD services collaboratively.

We believe that this forum will successfully implement the action plan alluded to earlier on to achieve the goals and objectives of combating all forms of behaviour militating against the well being of children.

I thank you.

Issued by Department of Education, Mpumalanga
13 March 2003