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Empowering Practitioners Through Training to Ensure Safety and Health of Early Childhood Development Learners
Tshidi (Matshediso) Rebecca Modise ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This book chapter argues that Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners need training so that children in ECD centres are kept safe and healthy. It notes that several South African government departments have policies on health and safety in ECD centres. The chapter suggests that these policies are not well put into practice because practitioners and caregivers get little training and support. As a result, children's health and safety often seems to depend on untrained staff.
Key points
- Several government departments have set policies on health and safety practices in ECD centres.
- Policy implementation appears weak because practitioners and caregivers receive minimal training and support on health and safety.
- Policy cannot always dictate what matters for outcomes, because individual practices should be central to local responses.
- South African ECD policies give guidelines that direct practitioners' daily practice.
- The relationship between ECD policies and programme implementation is uncertain.
Limitations
Only a short abstract is available, so the methods, data and evidence behind the claims are not shown. It does not evaluate a specific training intervention or report outcomes for children.
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to highlight importance of training Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners to ensure safety of learners in ECD centres, known as ECE in other countries. Several government departments have established policies to ensure effective implementation of health and safety practices in ECD centres. The problem with ECD policy implementation seems to be minimal training and support of practitioners and caregivers focusing on health and safety issues in ECD centres. Policy cannot always mandate what matters to outcomes at ECD centres because individual practices ought to be central to local responses. ECD policies in South Africa provide guidelines that direct the day-to-day practices of ECD practitioners. However, health and safety of young children appears to be in the hands of untrained practitioners and caregivers. Furthermore, ECD policy implementation reveals an uncertain relationship between policies and program implementation.