Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to qualify students for a career in teaching and facilitation in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) band. Students will develop the knowledge, skills and applied basic competencies crucial for ECD practitioners in both private and public pre-schools, cr�ches and educare facilities.

The specific skill-sets and competencies incorporated into this qualification are highly attractive to prospective pre-schools, cr�ches and educare facilities and should add significant value to the local education environment.

This qualification is designed to deliver students who demonstrate a strong focus on critical, adaptive and reflective thinking, and who are able to act both professionally and ethically so that they can contribute meaningfully to ECD-level education. The programme design thus facilitates the development of a well-rounded beginner ECD practitioner, and graduates will be required to demonstrate both theoretical depth and the applied skills and competencies relevant to ECD practitioner practice.

As a one-year qualification, students will commence their first semester with a mixture of theoretical and practical components related to education, including Early Childhood Learning and Development, Health, Safety and Nutrition, Introduction to Personal Computing, and Introduction to Scholarship. The second semester will focus on the didactic subjects, namely Facilitating and Managing the Life Skills Programme, Facilitating and Managing the Numeracy Programme, and Facilitating and Managing the Literacy Programme, and Management, Development and Professionalism in ECD, and Barriers to Learning - Identification and Facilitation.

Once students are firmly acquainted with best practice in teaching and learning in both education and care in general, they will be ready to commence with their three-week practical ECD Experience (WIL) module at the end of the second semester. The ECD Experience module, which will see students placed at selected pre-schools, cr�ches and educare facilities as arranged by the relevant campus, will allow students to practice their understanding of theory, and will also provide significant opportunities for in-situ practice and reflection on teaching and learning in the ECD band, thus allowing for suitable preparation of graduates as beginner ECD practitioners.

Rationale

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase has been neglected somewhat in South Africa, with the main focus being on improvement and development in the Foundation Phase (Chisholm, 2008) through projects, such as the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS) in Grades R to 3. Yet, there is a belief that "any service, such as ECD, that can give 'a good start in life involving nurturing, care and a safe environment' (African Ministers and Representatives of Ministers, 2005) to children - the future hope of any society and nation - deserves support and encouragement to work out appropriate policies and programs [sic], build effective capacity, and enhance networking" (Nsamenang, 2008, p.136). In addition, "[t]here is extremely limited access to and spending on ECCE and literacy. Quality must as a consequence also suffer" (Chisholm, 2004, p.17).

According to Chisholm (2004), a nation-wide audit (Department of Education, 2001) provided data which found that a large number of practitioners either have no training (23%) and/or do not have qualifications recognised by the government (88%) (Chisholm, 2004, p.18). More recently, Atmore and his colleagues (2012) noted that "the relevant government department (namely the Department of Social Development, Education, and Health), has identified the need to increase access to ECD programmes, as well as enhance the quality of ECD programmes and services ". They go on to report that, in the 2006/07 year, the Department of Social Development spent R350 million on providing registered ECD sites with subsidies for a total of 314,912 children (DBE, DSD and UNICEF, 2010). However, whilst this is a great start, the ECD phase still needs much development and professionalisation (Atmore, Van Niekerk, Ashley-Cooper, 2012). This is of particular significance for this submission.

It is possible that the ECD phase is often overlooked because 'anyone can look after babies and toddlers' and because there is a misconception that ECD practitioners can rely on what Lortie (1975) refers to as 'the apprenticeship of observation': a phenomenon where ideas about what ECD practitioners do, is shaped by the observations that they have had of themselves as learners. The problem with these observations is that learners rarely see, or necessarily, understand the pedagogical thinking that goes into teaching, particularly in pre-school teaching. This is compounded in the pre-school environment because much of the teaching and learning is play-based, and can easily be construed as non-educational play, where the focus is on 'keeping the child busy and out of trouble'. As such, formalised ECD practitioner education is especially important if they are to engage and prepare young children adequately for future education.

There is no doubt, therefore, that "quality teaching and learning is essential for effective early development to take place" (Atmore et al, 2012, p.133). This is why the Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education is designed to develop ECD phase specialists who will create solid learning experiences for young children to equip them for further education.

Students will be provided with formal opportunities to improve their knowledge and understanding of the major principles of pedagogy and child development, as well as the relevant skills such as first aid, financial management and professional communication required of a professional ECD practitioner. Given the number of brands that the institution serves, the reach of this qualification has the potential to contribute greatly to the shortage of qualified practitioners in the ECD phase by producing graduates who will be suitably qualified to provide quality teaching and learning experiences for young children.

Career opportunities for graduates of this qualification exist as

• Nursery School Teacher.
• Preschool Teacher Aide.
• Au Pair.
• Preschool Aftercare Teacher.
• Preschool Intern.
• Preschool Manager.

This qualification will prepare graduates to further their Childhood Care and Education studies at Level 6.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of prior learning can be used to admit no more than 10% of a cohort. RPL processes are qualification specific in that the criteria against which evidence of prior learning must be provided are determined by the learning normally assumed to be in place for qualifications at the level concerned in the field concerned. Instruments are only designed when requests are made as they are expensive to design, implement and assess. The procedure is governed by the Credit Accumulation and Transfer, Recognition of Prior Learning and Qualification Completion Policy.

In addition to RPL, a Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) mechanism exists for access and advance standing for formal learning from a recognised, registered and accredited institution on a registered and accredited qualification. CAT rules, as proposed by national policy, are applied - no more than 50% of a completed qualification which cannot represent more than 50% of the target qualification will be awarded.

If an applicant applies for RPL admission, the learning assumed to be in place for the qualification is assessed against Exit Level Outcomes equivalent to the formal learning required for admission. This would include an evaluation of the content, as well as the applicant's cognitive and technical competence. Applicants prepare a portfolio against these stated requirements which is then assessed by a team of experts/academics in line with the policy.

Recognition is awarded for

• Learning, and not for experience per se.
• Learning that is on the level of the specific level descriptors of the qualification.
• Learning that is in line with applied competence and has a balance between theory and practical application appropriate to the subject.

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirements to Higher Certificate are

• Senior Certificate (SC).
• National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting access to Higher Certificate studies.
• National Certificate Vocational (NCV).

Or

• A relevant Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA) qualification at Level 4.

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Level 5 totalling 133 Credits.

Compulsory modules, Level 5, 133 Credits

• Early Childhood Learning and Development (ECD), 24 Credits.
• Health, Safety and Nutrition, 24 Credits.
• Introduction to Personal Computing, 5 Credits.
• Introduction to Scholarship, 8 Credits.
• Facilitating and Managing the Literacy Programme, 12 Credits.
• Facilitating and Managing the Numeracy Programme, 12 Credits.
• Facilitating and Managing the Life Skills Programme, 12 Credits.
• Management, Development and Professionalism in ECD, 12 Credits.
• Barriers to Learning - Identification and Facilitation, 12 Credits.
• ECD Experience (Work Integrated Learning (WIL)), 12 Credits.

1. Demonstrate understanding of the roles of the subjects taught in the early childhood development level in the learning and development of young children.
2. Facilitate the learning of young children within the diverse context of South Africa.
3. Communicate with different education stakeholders using a range of appropriate tools.
4. Assess the learning of young children to inform future facilitation and learning.
5. Meet the professional requirements of an early childhood development practitioner through reflection, adherence to professional standards, and a positive work ethic.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Discuss the importance, purpose and aims of early childhood education.
• Apply relevant pedagogic principles, theories and practices to different multi-cultural contexts.
• Develop age-appropriate play-for-learning experience using skills, competencies and pedagogy relevant to Early Childhood Development (ECD).
• Use children's literature to facilitate ECD learning of age-appropriate language skills.
• Apply age-appropriate principles and mechanisms to facilitate the development of numeracy in young children.
• Develop resources to facilitate the development of age-appropriate life skills.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply effective practices to demonstrate an understanding of children's health and nutritional needs.
• Create and maintain safe learning environments both inside and outside the classroom.
• Demonstrate basic first aid and life-support proficiency.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles, theories and practices of inclusive education.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Demonstrate proficiency in sourcing, analysing, evaluating and documenting information according to the principles of academic writing.
• Use a range of appropriate applications to communicate effectively and professionally via documents, presentations, spreadsheets and e-mail.
• Demonstrate the values, principles and practices required to engage successfully in education studies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Create age-appropriate opportunities for the assessment of young children's literacy and numeracy skills.
• Create age-appropriate opportunities for the assessment of young children's progress in the development of their life skills.
• Analyse learners' performance and progress to inform future lessons and to reflect on best practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Demonstrate an understanding of administrative, technical and programme support in an ECD organisation.
• Implement projects, programmes and functions in a professional manner.
• Use appropriate communication methods when interacting with educational stakeholders.
• Record and reflect on observations of all aspects of ECD practice as part of a portfolio of evidence.

Integrated Assessment

Formative assessment

Learning and assessment are integrated. Continual formative assessment is required so that students are given feedback on their progress in the achievement of learning outcomes. The scheme of work includes assignments, real-world briefs, tests and an integrated programme portfolio based on the learning material; and students are given feedback. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and limited numbers of outcomes.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is concerned with the judgement of the learning in relation to the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification. Such judgement must include integrated assessments which test the student's ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are represented by the Exit Level Outcomes as a whole. Examinations, projects, reports or equivalent assessments, such as a portfolio of evidence, assess a representative selection of the outcomes practised and assessed. Summative assessment also tests the student's ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of a module.

Integrated assessments will be designed to achieve

• An integration of the achievement of exit level outcomes in a way which demonstrates that the purpose of the qualification as a whole has been achieved.
• The evaluation of learner performance which can provide evidence of applied competence.
• Criterion-referenced assessment which is clearly explained to, and understood by, the students and which can be applied in the Recognition of Prior Learning.