Access to education for the poor remains tough

Report reveals disparities in child development in disadvantaged communities

- THAMI MAGUBANE

A REPORT on the development of children under five has made the damning finding that children from poorer communities are falling behind even before they start formal schooling.

The Thrive by Five Index was released last month by the Department of Basic Education and other organisations with an interest in the sector. This is the second such report in the past few years. The Department of Basic Education said the findings from the report laid bare the areas that should be their primary focus.

The Thrive by Five Index 2024 represents South Africa's most comprehensive effort to date to assess the developmental status of four-year-old children across the country, grounded in the Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development.

The index (report) is designed to provide a clear, regular picture of how young children are developing in key domains and how the early learning environment, household conditions, and broader social context contribute to this development.

The 2024 Index states that children who are nourished and nurtured in supportive environments—at home and in other care or educational settings — are more likely to be healthy, emotionally secure, and developmentally on track, increasing their chances of thriving and reaching their full potential.

Among the key objectives of the report is to determine the proportion of young children in South Africa who attend Early Learning Programmes (ELPs) and are on track for their age in three key areas of development: early learning, social-emotional functioning, and physical growth.