Iminyaka emihlanu yokuqala iyisisekelo sempumelelo yakhe kuloba, uJabulani Sikhakhane

UCWANINGO ngezingane ezineminyaka emine eNingizimu Afrika ezisezingeni lesiqalo semfundo luveza ukuthi ziwu-42% kuphela ezisesimweni esifanele senqubekelaphambili yezinga labo.

Kwezingekho kulelo zinga, u-82% wonke usele emuva ngokwentuthuko efanele izinga leminyaka yabo.

Zintathu izikali zale nqubekelaphambili – isiqalo semfundo, ukukhula ngokomzimba nokukwazi ukubanobudlelwano obuhle nabanye.

Ososayensi baveza ukuthi lesi sigaba sempilo, phecelezi i-early childhood, singesibaluleke kakhulu empilweni yomuntu. Ingane engabanganesisekelo esifanele isencane ivame ukuthwala nzima kuyo yonke imikhakha yempilo – esikoleni, enyuvesi nasemsebenzini.

Yingakho ohulumeni emazweni omhlaba benezinhlelo ezibhekele intuthuko yezingane ezingakasiqali isikole ukuze kuzanywe ukuthi zibenesisekelo esiqinile ngaphambi kokuqala imfundo.

Ucwaningo i-Thrive by five Index lwaqalwa ngo-2021. Umbiko ngemininingwane yocwaningo lwango-2024 usanda kuphuma. Ugcizelela ukubaluleka kweminyaka yokuqala emihlanu yomuntu ekubumbekeni kwenqubekelaphambili yakhe. Yingalesi sikhathi lapho ingqondo nomzimba womntwana ukhula ngesivinini esikhulu – okuncike kakhulu esimweni senhlalo yazo.

Abantwana abakhula bethola ukudla okunezakhamzimba ezifanele nokwanele, kanti futhi bekhulela emakhaya nezindawo ezinesaphothi kwintuthuko yabo, bakhula bephilile, futhi bezethemba ngokwemizwa yabo (emotionally secure).  Loku kwenyusa amathuba abo okuqhubekela phambili ngokwayo yonke imikhakha yempilo.

ENingizimu Afrika kunenkinga. Imininingwane ikhomba ukuthi kubantwana abaminyaka emine ababalelwa ku-1.2 million, abawu-68% basemindenini ehluphekayo. Lapha kusetshenziswa isikali esiwuR1 634 ngomuntu ngamunye ngenyanga, esithathwa njengemali engadingwa umuntu ukuthi aziphilise. Ngamanye amazwi umndeni wabantu abane ungadinga uR6 536 ngenyanga ukuze umelana nezindleko zempilo (ukudla nezinye).

Ngokwezibalo zeStatistics South Africa (iStats SA), bawu-60% kuphela abatholakala besezikhungweni zesiqalo semfundo. Phakathi kwalezi zikhungo kubalwa izinkulisa, ama-educare centre, creches nama-play group. Abangaphezudlwana kuka-2% beluswe ekhaya abantu abaqashiwe nogogo. Abangaphezu kuka-29% abekho ezikhungweni zesiqalo semfundo noma luphi nje uhlobo olubahlanganisa nabanye abantwana.

Kubantwana abasezikhungweni zesiqalo semfundo, bawu-42% kuphela okutholakala ukuthi basesimweni esifanele senqubekelaphambili ngokweminyaka yabo. 

Nakuleli qoqo kutholakala omkhulu umehluko phakathi kwabantwana – ngokobulili (amantombazane ahamba phambili) nesimo sempilo yabazali ngokwezimali.

Abantwana abesezikhungweni lapho abazali bekhokha imali ebhekile batholakala besezingeni eliphezulu kunabangaphansi kwezinhlelo lapho kukhokhwa imali encane khona. Lo mehluko ubalulekile ngoba uyisibuko sendlela uhlelo lwesiqalo semfundo oluhleleke ngayo eNingizimu Afrika.

Izikhungo zesiqalo semfundo azikho ngaphansi kukahulumeni. Zixube okungamabhizinisi neziphansi kwezinhlangano ezingenzi nzuzo. 

Uhulumeni ulawula nje kuphela kulezi zikhungo ubheke ukuthi zisebenza ngendlela, uphinde uxhase ngemali lezo ezidinga lolu sizo. Inhloso kahulumeni ukuthi bonke abantwana abaneminyaka emine babengaphansi kwalezi zikhungu ngo-2030.

Kuleli qoqo labantwana (abawu-42%) abatholakala besezingeni elifanele lenqubekelaphambili ngokweminyaka yabo, ucwaningo luthola ukuthi inqubekelaphambili yabo ihamba phambili ngasohlangothini lwe-emergent literacy and language (u-53%). Kulandela i-gross motor development (i-44%), i-cognition and executive functioning (u40%), i-emergency numeracy and mathematics (u-33%) ne-fine motor coordination and visual motor integration (u-29%).

Le mikhakha ibhekele ukusebenza komzimba nengqondo yomntwana. I-gross motor development ibheka ukuthi uyakwazi yini ukusebenzisa amamasela akhe amakhulu – alawula ukuhamba, ukugijima, ukugxuma nokukhwela izinto (izihlahla nokunye). I-fine motor development, ibheka ukusetshenziswa kwezandla, iminwe nokunyakazisa izihlakala.

I-visual motor integration iphenya ukuthi ingane iyakwazi yini ukubhala into eyibonayo. Kwi-cognition and executive functioning kubhekwa ukuthi uyakwazi yini ukuthola ulwazi, akwazi ukugxila ezintweni nokuthi akhumbule izinto noma ulwazi aluthole ngaphambili noma ukukhula.

Nalolu cwaningo lwe-Thrive by Five luveza ukuthi likhulu igebe phakathi kwentuthuko yezingane elidalwa wumehluko ngamazinga empilo yabazali noma nabantu abababhekayo. Abantwana ababhekwa ngabantu abanamazinga aphakeme emfundo babasezingeni eliphakeme lentuthuko, ikakhulu emakhonweni e-cognitive nolim.

Emakhonweni e-cognitive kubalwa ukucabanga, ukufunda, ukukhumbula izinto nokukwazi ukuhluza ulwazi.

Kutholakala nokuthi kubalulekile ukuthi ingane ekhulele ekhaya elinezincwadi. Izingane okunezincwadi eziyishumi nangaphezulu ekhaya kutholakala ukuthi zisezingeni eliphezulu entuthukweni yazo ngamaphuzu awu-6.6, kunokungenancwadi kubo.

Libalulekile neqhaza lobaba bezingane. Abantwana abakhula oyise bebambe iqhaza empilweni yabo nabo banentuthuko engcono. Nokho kunzima loku njengoba u-64% wezingane ezineminyaka emine zingahlala noyise abazizalayo.