JOHANNESBURG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is prioritizing Early Childhood Development (ECD) to prepare children to make a meaningful contribution to the country's future, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday, stressing access to quality early education.

Ramaphosa made the remarks at the official opening of the Bana Pele 2030 ECD Roadmap Leadership Summit in Johannesburg, the largest city and economic hub of South Africa.

"We recognize today that investing in ECD is not just about education. It is about shaping the next generation of skilled, capable, and entrepreneurial citizens who will drive our economy forward," said Ramaphosa. "Early Childhood Development provides children with the foundational skills they need to build a successful future. It helps to break the cycle of poverty that is handed down from one generation to the next."

The president underlined that early childhood is important for developing foundational skills such as language, literacy, and numeracy.

"Early Childhood Development is about giving children from all backgrounds the opportunity to grow into confident, capable citizens who contribute positively to society. Children who receive a strong start are more likely to succeed in school and the workforce, reducing societal costs in areas such as healthcare, crime prevention, and welfare," he said.

Siviwe Gwarube, minister of basic education, said there are nearly 7 million children aged 0-5 in South Africa, while about 1.3 million children aged 3-5 are not attending any form of ECD program.

"To rescue the children of South Africa, we have set out on a strategic reorientation of the basic education sector toward foundational learning. By 2030, we want every child in South Africa to have access to quality early learning," Gwarube said.

Enoch Godongwana, minister of finance, recently announced an additional investment of 10 billion rand (about 550 million U.S. dollars) in ECD over the next three years. Enditem

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