The Thrive by Five Index shows stark inequality in early childhood development, with children in low-fee preschools far more likely to fall behind.
It’s been said before, but it is worth repeating over and over again until someone in authority starts to do something.
We are letting down the most vulnerable in our society.
The children in poor areas are being held back, both physically and educationally, by poverty.
That’s the point Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube made clear on World Literacy Day, raising the alarm over early childhood development in SA.
She said the results of the 2025 Thrive by Five Index paint a stark picture of inequality and the urgent need to strengthen early learning.
The index revealed that less than half of preschool children, just 42%, are meeting key developmental milestones.
Children in high-fee preschools were found to be twice as likely to meet developmental goals as those in low-fee centres.
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Gwarube warned that poor foundations in fine motor coordination and visual motor skills were undermining progress.
With just 29% of children on track in this area, it is even more frightening that, in a country which fancies itself as the economic powerhouse of Africa, seven percent of enrolled four-year-olds display signs of moderate or severe stunting, leaving them on average five months behind their peers.
This should make any humane person weep. And, then, that person should get angry, because this is a social evil which is entirely preventable.
There should be more than enough tax money sloshing around in this country to ensure we can give disadvantaged children a badly needed helping hand.
This isn’t happening because our country is still being looted to a standstill.
Our elite – whether they earn their money honestly or not – live a disgustingly profligate lifestyle, consuming enough booze in one night to feed an entire school of poor children for a month.
We need to look at ourselves in the mirror – and change our selfish ways.
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