Overview: Education and adolescent development
A partnership for quality education The power of education to transform societies cannot be underestimated. Education breaks the generational cycles of poverty and disease and is key to a nation’s development and prosperity. Quality education equips and empowers boys and girls with the knowledge and skills needed to lead healthy lives, protect themselves against HIV and shape the course of their communities. Girls in particular benefit tremendously from a rights and gender-based approach to learning, which empowers them to challenge gender discrimination and take charge of their lives. South Africa has the ability to transform the education sector into one of the continent’s best. The groundwork has been laid: the country had adopted the approach of education for all, and development and reform initiatives towards these goals are integrated into national strategic plans, policies and programmes. Primary schooling is compulsory for children aged 7 to 15 while an integrated approach to early childhood development aims to give all children between birth and school-going age the best start in life. A No-Fee Schools policy has abolished school fees in the poorest primary schools across the country, helping to attract poor, orphaned, disabled and vulnerable children to school. Education is one of the highest national priorities. The government invests huge resources in the sector. Early childhood development saw its share of total government expenditure rise from 0.5 per cent in 2003/4 to 1 per cent in 2008/9. Expenditure on primary and secondary education alone represented 5.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product in 2007/08. As a result, children’s access to basic education is extensive and most children stay in school at least to the end of the primary cycle. Girls’ education is one of the main achievements of the post-apartheid education system, with girls and boys enrolling in school in almost equal numbers. Educational opportunities for children from previously disadvantaged backgrounds are now considerably better than before. Challenges to quality education While South Africa is very close to achieving the Millennium Development Goal on universal primary education and gender equality in education, the education system struggles to deliver quality education. Many children experience a broken journey through school, interrupted by irregular attendance, absent teachers, teenage pregnancy and school-related abuse and violence. South Africa’s high levels of poverty continue to deny thousands of children access to quality education. Around 27 per cent of public schools do not have running water, 78 per cent are without libraries and 78 per cent do not have computers. There is limited provision for preschool and special education. The majority of children between birth and four years to do not access to quality early childhood care and learning. Formal and regulated day-care centres and pre-schools only reach 16 per cent of young children.
What UNICEF is doing The UNICEF Education and Adolescent Programme addresses three important stages in a child’s development, based on the life cycle approach.
The programme pays particular attention to early childhood. Research has found that the first three years of life are the most critical for a child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Investing in the early years is an investment in a country’s future workforce and capacity to thrive socially and economically. Early Childhood Development
Child Friendly Schools With UNICEF support, the Department of Education developed the Safe, Caring and Child Friendly School Framework to increase access, retention, completion and learning achievement for the most vulnerable children, particularly girls. The framework also promotes life skills for HIV prevention, psychosocial programmes, community participation in schools, and improved school environmental health and safety. The framework is an organising construct. It helps to put into practice education related policies and the Convention on the Rights of the Child so that all children in South Africa can benefit from a quality education. The framework links to the National Education Monitoring Information System through an accreditation mechanism. Adolescent Development The programme is also tied to the child friendly framework by supporting extra curricular activities in schools. The involvement of parents and other community members is central to this initiative. Children and adolescents need adult support as they learn skills to stay HIV free, protect themselves against rape and abuse, and improve their livelihoods. Emergency Assistance
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Did you know? At between 15 and 18%, repetition rates at school are highest among grade 10 and 11 learners. 8 Goals for Africa |
