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The National Department of Education has conducted a survey and produced
a comprehensive document entitled: The nationwide audit of ECD provisioning
in South Africa. The document outlines the very low level of training and
qualifications of ECD educators.
Maths Centre has worked tirelessly for the past two years to uplift the
ECD education in Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng. The Maths Centre programme
is aimed at teacher development and learner progression and fits the criteria
as listed in the ECD document issued by the National Department of Education.
During 2002, Emerging Numeracy workshops were conducted by the Maths Centre
in 18 locations in Gauteng, NW, Limpopo and KZN. Educators are feeling challenged
but determined to take advantage of this opportunity, learning mathematical
concepts that they never learnt when they were at school. Transforming themselves
from 'childminders' into ECD educators is a most
heart-warming phenomenon unfolding. General principles embedded in all ECD
workshops are in keeping with the International Convention on the Rights
of the Child: 
- Learning process principles for developing emerging numeracy.
- Adults are central to a child’s world (parent/teacher/learner
interaction).
- Creating an effective and stimulating ECD Environment.
- Introduction to motor, social, physical and interpersonal skills.
- Stages of growth and the national numeracy curriculum must guide the
planning of programmes.
- Emerging numeracy resource materials
Children and educators in disadvantaged communities pose
some general challenges for ECD provision:
- Non-communicative for the most part;
- Lack of motivating instructional materials;
- Unqualified or/and poorly qualified ECD educators;
- Very few educators consider ECD aspecialist field;
- Low level employment for parents and guardians;
- Extremely poor living conditions;
- Poor resources;
- Infrastructure lacking or dilapidated.
Maths Centre has developed excellent materials and delivered high quality
training over the past 2 years assisted by Murray & Roberts and Transnet
Foundation.
Materials have undergone rigorous checks and have been approved by the provincial
departments of education. Last year materials were supplied to ECD centres
named by both Murray & Roberts and Transnet Foundation
- Grade R activity books
Young children need to develop confidence in Number, Shape and Measurement
as a natural part of their daily life. This will give an immense boost
to learning these concepts later. Grade R activities should help enhance
communication, description of objects and notations as used in basic
operations.
- ECD Teacher/Parent guide
It is believed all over the world in all different cultures that children’s
intellectual development is very rapid during the early years of zero
to five. Parents are the first teachers of their children. They have
much to offer to schools. However, there can be deep-seated fear of
schools in a parent’s mind resulting from their own classroom
experiences in their childhood. This guide opens up a fun way for parents
to engage in the world of mathematics with their children.
- ECD Emerging Numeracy kit - concrete manipulatives
Any kind of structured play, which involves drawing and creating patterns,
develops concentration skills and creative imagination while enhancing
reasoning ability. Maths Centre ECD materials enable learners to work
effectively in groups, as individuals or as a whole class. ECD teachers
find that their anxiety for planning manageable tasks becomes much less
when they are working with the Maths Centre learner support materials.
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