Barriers to collaboration in implementing Early Childhood Care and Education policies in Gauteng province, South Africa

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. The UNCRC sets out specific rights of children. Countries that are signatories to the UNCRC commit themselves to ensuring that the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children (Article 3); and that every child has the right to life, survival and development (Article 6).

South Africa, a UNCRC signatory, has developed Early Childhood Development (ECD) policies. ECD policies require collaboration among stakeholders for quality services.The study aimed to explore strategies for strengthening the implementation of ECD policies to improve children’s development. To compare the results of various contexts, two ECD centres in rural and semi-urban areas were purposefully sampled. Data was also collected through semi-structured interviews, writing notes and observation to understand the ECD participants’ experiences.

This study has used Britto, Yoshikawa and Boller’s (2011) conceptual framework on quality to understand the collaborative support required to ensure the holistic development of young children. The findings revealed a lack of synergy in the roles and responsibilities of ECD stakeholders in implementing policies. The planned ECD policy intentions of key stakeholders - to provide care and education services - have thus far fallen short of its intended goals. It is recommended that continuous dialogue and interaction among ECD stakeholders at the national, provincial, district, and ECD centre levels must be strengthened through the implementation of ECD policies.