Cailynn Pretorius30 June 2025 | 4:59

DBE renews call for ECD centres to register with department

Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said registering with the education department would ensure they are properly accounted for, as well as the children under their care.

DBE renews call for ECD centres to register with department

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CAPE TOWN - The Department of Basic Education is renewing its call for all Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres to officially register with the department. 

This comes amidst alarming figures from the Santa Shoebox Project, which estimates that 1.3 million children in the country are currently not enrolled in any ECD programmes.

These programmes reportedly provide essential skills, care, and early learning experiences for children before they begin their formal schooling journey.

Basic Education Department spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said the department was urging all ECD centres to register.

"The Department of Basic Education has been running a mass registration campaign to encourage and urge all those people who operate Early Childhood Development centres and those who have programmes to please register them so that they can benefit from the services that are available."

Mhlanga said that registering with the education department would benefit ECD centres.

"It's important that people take advantage of this window to come forward so that they can be properly accounted for and for the children that are under their care to be properly accounted for." 

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