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- Suite 801, The Point, 76 Regent Road, Sea Point, 8005
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EDUCATION
HCI Foundation’s early childhood development (ECD) strategy is based on the African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child”. This is based on the understanding that all children have the potential to succeed, provided they are nurtured in conducive environments.
We intend to ensure that all children can access quality, inclusive, transformative play-based early learning programmes provided by skilled, qualified, passionate, nurturing and imaginative teachers. Access to quality early learning education is critical for children’s success at school and later in life.
A child’s brain is developed by the age of five. The implications of children not accessing quality early learning are costly to the state and the future of its citizens. Investing in early childhood development will contribute to our children’s successful future and the economy.
We partner with ECD training and resource organisations to implement the below success indicators that contribute toward excellence in ECD:
The above eight elements look at ECD in an integrated way while supporting the child holistically. We believe all ECD sites should be supported to implement the eight elements to provide children with the tools they need to succeed later in life. Our Excellence in ECD initiative seeks to create bridges between all relevant stakeholders to support South African children’s pathway into formal schooling for their academic success.
We support initiatives which build core literacy and numeracy skills at foundation level.
At secondary level, we support initiatives that reduce school dropout levels, increase throughput to Grade 12, and encourage academic excellence.
The 2019 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) report, exploring the global state of education in pursuit of the 2030 Millenium Development Goals, highlighted the lack of qualified teachers as a significant risk factor to achieving the goal of universal primary education. To achieve this goal, the Centre for Development and Enterprise estimates that approximately 25 000 teachers need to qualify each year. In addition, the Teaching and Learning International Survey found that 32% of teachers are over 50 years old. Thus, two essential intervention points can be identified: teacher retention and the successful graduation of more teachers, which our Teacher Development Programme seeks to support and encourage.
HCI Foundation supports initiatives in primary schools that build core literacy and numeracy skills at foundation level. At secondary level, we support initiatives that reduce school dropout levels, increase throughput to Grade 12, and encourage academic excellence. To achieve this, we work with partners who support teacher development and excellence, building on our core principle to engage in partnerships that promote sustainable change. We do this by:
HCI Foundation bursary programme has changed direction. From the year 2020 onwards, HCI Foundation bursaries will be given primarily to:
Find out more about our criteria and application process here.