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COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613755940012033 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Thomas, Lindsey Godfrey |
| author2 | Davids, Nuraan |
| author_browse | Davids, Nuraan Thomas, Lindsey Godfrey |
| author_facet | Davids, Nuraan Thomas, Lindsey Godfrey |
| author_sort | Thomas, Lindsey Godfrey |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131935 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:10.692Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131935 COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice Thomas, Lindsey Godfrey Davids, Nuraan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. Early childhood education -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023 -- Influence Social justice and education -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Swak dissipline is ‘n volgehoue probleem in die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse skole. Aan die eenkant is daar verskeie faktore, beide intern en ekstern, wat die bedrag van leerders beïnvloed. Aan die anderkant is skole deurlopend onder druk om op nuwe soorte dissiplinêre probleme te reageer en hulle te bestuur. Gereelde meningsverskille op speelgrond en stokkiesdraai gaan gepaard met meer kommerwekkende dade van geweld kuberafknouery. Ondanks ‘n magdom postapartheidsbeleide wat gerig is op klaskamer bestuur deur demokratiese praktyke, sukkel skoolhoofde, onderwysers, en beheerliggame steeds om gedissiplineerde onderrig- en leeromgewings te handhaaf. Sedert lyfstraf afgeskaf is, sukkel onderwysers en skoolhoofde om langtermynoplossings te ontwikkel om dissipline doeltreffend te bestuur. Ten spyte van dissiplinêre beleide wat ingestel is om skole met swak dissiplineprobleme by te staan, het onderwysers en skoolhoofde hul eie metodes om dissipline te bestuur, en dit is geneig om korttermynalternatiewe te wees. Daar is bevind dat die beleide wat deur die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepertement en die Departement van Basiese Onderwys aanbeveel word, die potensiaal het om met dissiplinêre te help. Onderwysers en skoolhoofde is egter nie konsekwent in hul implementering van hierdie beleide nie. Daarom is omgee-etiek ingestel as ‘n nuwe benadering tot die bestuur van dissipline sodat onderwysers en skoolhoofde algemene dissiplinêre probleme kan uitskakel. Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe vier skole in die Weskaap- twee hoёrskole en twee laerskole leerders se dissiplinêre probleme bestuur en daarop reageer. Hierdie studie het insig gesoek in die tipe dissiplinêre probleme wat tipies by hierdie vier skole ervaar word, hoe onderwysers en skoolhoofde op dissiplineerde probleme gereageer het, skoolgebaseerde beleide oor die bestuur van dissipline en hoe dit geïmplementeer word. Dit is gedoen deur ‘n kwalitatiewe en fenomonelogiese paradigma. In ‘n poging om na alternatiewe praktyke te kyk vir diegene wat tans in die vier skole werksaam is, het ek geleun op Noddings (2005) se aanbeveling van ‘n omgee-etiek. Noddings (2005) is van mening dat omgee ‘n ontmoeting is tussen twee mense is. Ons kan egter nie voorstel dat omgee alles sal bereik wat in die onderwys gedoen moet word nie, maar dit is ‘n stap in die regte rigting. ‘n Omgee-etiek vereis dat onderwysers en skoolhoofde eers aandagtig na leerder te luister, wat dan met verloop van tyd tot vertroue lei. Op hierdie manier sal leerders begin aanvaar wat onderwysers en skoolhoofde hulle prober leer. Daarna, terwyl onderwysers en skoolhoofde aktief met leerders in gesprek tree oor hul behoeftes en ervarings, sal hulle belangrike inligting oor die leerders inwin en beter verstaan waarom sekere leerders geneig is tot wangedrag (Noddings, 2005). Die bevindinge dui daarop dat onderwysers by hӧers-en laerskole een of ander vorm van swak dissipline ervaar. Onderwysers probeer dus verskillende strategieё bedink om dit te bestuur, aangesien die gebrek aan dissipline in skole onderrig en leer geweldig beïnvloed. Verder het die bevindinge aan die lig gebring dat swak leerderdissipline vererger in die hoёrskool. Dit kan wees as gevolg van verskeie probleme wat hulle tuis of in die gemeenskap ervaar. Spesifiek, gangsterism en dwelmmisbruik wat later in die literatuuroorsig bespreek word. Die studie argumenteer vir ‘n omgee-etiek as ‘n nuwe benadering tot die bestuur van swak dissipline, aangesien dit duidelik is dat onderwysers stadigaan gedemotiveerd raak om effektief te onderrig. Dit is ook duidelik dat huidige stratigeё en benaderings nie die veranderinge teweeg bring wat bevorderlik is vir ‘n funksionele skoolomgewing nie. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented educational and social challenges to early childhood development (ECD) centres. In South Africa, the mandatory closure of ECD centres from 18 March 2020 to 5 July 2020 disrupted opportunities for early learning. For millions of children, specifically those within the most vulnerable communities of South Africa, the closure meant no access to critical educational programmes, daily nutritional meals, and safe places to play. Very little is known about how the extended lockdown affected ECD centres and children. Considering the disparate conditions of ECD centres – from privately run and sustained, to centres entirely reliant on the state – it is clear that these centres would have responded differently to a national lockdown. The interest of this study was to gain insights into how the lockdown affected ECD centres, serving vulnerable communities in South Africa’s townships. Four ECD centres in a township participated in the study. The research participants comprised sixteen participants: four principals, four teachers, and eight parents. By adopting a phenomenological approach, the study seeks to address the following research objectives: (1) to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the functionality of ECD centres in Cape Town, South Africa; (2) to investigate the implications for ECD practitioners when ECD centres were closed in Cape Town; (3) to investigate the educational and social implications for children during Covid-19; and (4) to ascertain the importance to access ECD as a matter of social justice. The key findings of this study are as follows: On the one hand, the closure of ECD centres affected children’s educational progress; it also prevented them from gaining access to daily nutritional meals; and parents had to make alternate childcare arrangements, which often involved relying on neighbours for childcare services with an added financial burden. On the other hand, ECD practitioners, employed at these centres, were left with reduced salaries for the duration of the lockdown, placing them and their dependents in dire situations. Moreover,once the centres were allowed to reopen, ECD centres found it difficult to cope with the increased operational costs to purchase personal protective equipment, as mandated by the state. Demand for ECD services also decreased, as many children did not return. Some practitioners also did not return, presumably because they were forced to find alternative employment, considering they did not receive salaries during the lockdown. Doctoral 2025-04-29T12:18:18Z 2025-04-29T12:18:18Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131935 en Stellenbosch University 210 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Early childhood education -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023 -- Influence Social justice and education -- South Africa UCTD Thomas, Lindsey Godfrey COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice |
| title | COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice |
| title_full | COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice |
| title_short | COVID-19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in South Africa: implications for social justice |
| title_sort | covid 19 and the closure of early childhood development centres in south africa implications for social justice |
| topic | Early childhood education -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023 -- Influence Social justice and education -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131935 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomaslindseygodfrey covid19andtheclosureofearlychildhooddevelopmentcentresinsouthafricaimplicationsforsocialjustice |