We’ve all had unique experiences when it comes to learning, shaped by our backgrounds, abilities, and personal circumstances among other things. These experiences have influenced our development and progress in different ways, highlighting the significance of positive learning experiences early in life. The early years are critical for brain development, as they lay the foundation for lifelong learning and success for all children.
How has your experience or observation of early learning environments highlighted the need for inclusivity?
In South Africa, including children with physical disabilities in early learning centres remains a major challenge. Many children with disabilities do not have access to early learning opportunities, and those who do often find themselves in centres without adequate support systems. This can negatively impact their developmental journey and future success. As role players in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) ecosystem, we need to collaborate to close this gap and ensure that every child, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
To gain deeper insight into the importance of inclusivity in early learning, we spoke with Nel Boshoff and Caren Pretorius-Kleynhans from Shonaquip – our partner and a social enterprise dedicated to promoting inclusion for children with disabilities. In our conversation, Nel and Caren shared their approach to inclusive learning and shed a light on the challenges hindering it in South Africa, offering insights into what can be done to make inclusion a reality.
Q: How does Shonaquip define inclusive learning, and what does it mean to you?
A: For us, inclusive learning is about taking an equitable approach, not just an equal one. Yes, every child has equal rights, but equity means recognising that not all children need the same support. It’s like giving ten children the same size shoe – it won’t fit everyone. The support we provide must be tailored to each child’s specific needs.
This individualised approach allows early learning practitioners, and even caregivers, to feel more confident. If something doesn’t work for one child, they know they can adapt it or try another one. What works for one child may not work for another, even if they have the same disability. The freedom to adapt support to meet each child’s needs is at the core of what we do.
Inclusive learning also involves upholding each child’s rights. All children have the right to education and a good quality of life, but these rights manifest differently for everyone. Ultimately, inclusive learning aims to ensure equitable support that allows all children to learn alongside their peers and reach their full potential, while also affirming society’s recognition of the human rights of persons with impairments.
Q: Why is inclusive learning crucial for early childhood development?
A: ECD is universally recognised as the foundation for lifelong learning. The first three years of a child’s life are critical, as most brain development happens during this time. It’s a golden opportunity to provide children with learning experiences that will shape their future.
For example, something as simple as teaching rhymes and rhythms can influence how children master skills like mathematics later on. If a child doesn’t attend an early learning centre, they might start school at a disadvantage compared to their peers. ECD lays an essential foundation for all children, but it’s especially important for children with disabilities, who often need additional support to thrive.
Another key aspect is the role ECD plays in identifying potential learning barriers early on. The ECD policy looks at the child holistically, recognising that factors like emotional stress – whether from neglect or abuse – can affect a child’s ability to learn. When we look at children from this broad perspective, we see that addressing their emotional, social, and cognitive needs is just as important as providing educational support.
Q: What are the barriers to early learning that practitioners face when implementing inclusive learning in their centres?
A: Many of the barriers that practitioners face stem from challenges within the communities in which children with disabilities live. Stigma and isolation are two of the biggest obstacles – children with disabilities are often hidden away due to fear of judgment or mistreatment, leaving them cut off from educational opportunities.
Transport is another major issue, with families struggling to find reliable, affordable ways to get their children to early learning centres. And even when they do, many parents lack the information and support they need to help their children thrive, while policies around funding and school enrolment often don’t provide the resources necessary to accommodate these children. On top of all that, the shortage of assistive devices and therapeutic interventions makes it even harder for children with disabilities to get the care and attention they need.
Within early learning centres, there are additional hurdles. Infrastructure is often inadequate, with many centres not equipped to accommodate children who use wheelchairs or need specialised care. Outreach efforts to engage families can fall short, especially when parents are in denial about their child’s disability. The stigma and attitudes of other parents also play a role, with some families avoiding interaction with children who have disabilities, which can be emotionally damaging. There are also practical concerns around things like changing nappies, administering medication, and ensuring proper feeding routines. These factors combined make it difficult for practitioners to create an inclusive, supportive environment for all children.
Q: What is Shonaquip doing to address inclusivity in early learning?
A: Shonaquip is dedicated to enhancing inclusivity in early learning by prioritising the early identification of children with impairments. Our national approach focuses on integrating these children into mainstream learning centres, aligning with South Africa’s White Paper 6 on inclusive education, which advocates against isolating children in care centres. We identify early learning centres that can accommodate children with disabilities and, when necessary, connect families with the Department of Basic Education’s Inclusive Education programme to ensure that children receive adequate support.
We also address attitudinal barriers through training programmes, emphasising the importance of a positive and inclusive mindset among stakeholders. We actively gather data on barriers faced by families and early learning practitioners, which we use to advocate for change and inform funders. We also leverage advocacy platforms and ongoing support through channels like WhatsApp to maintain connections with practitioners and families, providing mentorship and assistance as children’s needs evolve. Our dedicated impact monitoring team helps us to adapt training content based on emerging trends, ensuring a sustained focus on inclusivity in early learning.
Q: Could you tell us about the Play for All initiative?
A: The Play for All initiative is a collaboration between Shonaquip and Smart Start, funded by Innovation Edge. This partnership allowed us to test whether our Early Learning Inclusion Programme (Ndinogona) and key aspects of disability inclusion could be scaled within an ECD organisation like SmartStart. The goal was to determine if a combination of online and in-person training could encourage SmartStart practitioners to make their centres more inclusive.
The training introduced SmartStart practitioners to the Social Model of disability and core concepts of inclusive learning, empowering them to create inclusive learning environments where children with and without disabilities can learn and play together. They received resources enabling the adaptation of feeding, play, and educational activities, which could then be used by SmartStart groups to explore and implement inclusive activities straight away.
While this programme is ongoing, it has informed an addition to our Ndinogona offering – a train-the-trainer model, which will expand to other ECD organisations and learning centres, with support from CHAI and the LEGO Foundation.
Play for All has provided us a great opportunity for us to improve our offering and broaden our reach.
Q: In your view, how can ECD ecosystem role players and society contribute to fostering inclusive learning environments for all children?
A: We all need to take a well-rounded approach. Government mainstreaming is essential, which involves the implementation of inclusive policies, advocacy efforts, data collection, and resource mobilisation to support ECD initiatives. Moreover, community inclusion plays a critical role in normalising the presence of individuals with impairments in everyday life. This includes advocating for awareness, encouraging open dialogue about challenges, and connecting individuals to resources and support systems.
A vital aspect of this movement is the representation of people with disabilities in leadership positions, which can inspire others and demonstrate that inclusion is possible. It should be commonplace to see individuals with disabilities in various settings, including public transport. For example, if a person with autism experiences a stemming episode while taking a taxi, fellow passengers should respond with understanding and support, rather than discomfort. Cultivating this openness and kindness requires a collective effort from society to learn and accommodate everyone, in order to create a more inclusive environment for everyone.
Q: What are your plans going forward?
A: Going forward, we’re applying the lessons from the Play for All initiative to improve our training initiative and build on our programmes, especially around inclusion in ECD. Our next steps include piloting a centre assessment tool to evaluate inclusion readiness and identify needs to support children regardless of impairment to thrive. We’ll also continue with direct and train-the-trainer approaches, working with partners to create inclusive environments in early learning centres. We will continue collaborating with existing and new partners, and hope to work alongside Innovation Edge, to advance inclusion in the ECD sector.
Building a Future of Inclusive Learning for All Children
The insights gathered from Nel and Caren paint a clear picture of the situation and challenges that children with disabilities and their carers face in their everyday lives. The question is, are we doing enough to ensure that they are included? Maybe not, not yet, but it’s never too late. We can work together to ensure that all children have access to quality learning opportunities, regardless of their background or ability. At Innovation Edge, we support partners like Shonaquip in their efforts to make learning inclusive for everyone. We’re all about improving the lives of our youngest citizens for their future, and for the future of our society.
Learn more about Shonaquip and about our work.
Author: Dimpho Lephaila – Communications Associate at Innovation Edge
Photo Credit: Shonaquip