South Africa is in dire need of well-stimulated, developed and educated toddlers, pre-schoolers and children in their early childhood years of development (0-9 years), as these youngsters will ensure that the country develops according to its full potential with adults possessing high-level skills.
Our Subject Group ECDE offers various certificate, diploma and degree programmes to develop and educate learners between the ages of 0-9 years old. Our first postgraduate programme will roll out soon (a BEd Honours in ECD degree), followed by a Master’s and Doctorate programme in the future.
We aim to be a Subject Group that provides quality teacher training programmes from undergraduate to postgraduate qualifications, supported by a robust research and community engagement initiative, enabling students and staff to grow and develop as they experience various forms of lifelong learning opportunities. We strive to deliver programmes, research and community engagement activities that are contextually relevant and aim to narrow the theory-practice gap.
Our programme foci include:
- A play-based learning approach;
- mother tongue education for some degree options in English, Afrikaans, Setswana, Sesotho, Sepedi and isiZulu;
- practical learning opportunities infused by theoretical underpinnings;
- preparation for multigrade learning within the South African context;
- a focus on an integrated Home Language, Additional Language, Mathematics and Life Skills balanced programme;
- international and national overviews and trends in education to assure relevant and contextualised teaching; and
- learning to teach in diverse teaching settings and be adaptable in the face of socio-economic challenges.