While the headline figure for ECD suggested an increase in spending on the ECD conditional grant over the MTEF period (to R3.5 billion), the detailed figures inidcate that the value of the per child subsidy will now decrease in real terms between 2020/21 and 2023/24. [...] The table below shows the figures provided in Vote 19 (Social Development) of this year’s Budget, and compares the subsidy forecasts with those in Vote 19 of the 2020 Budget. [...] • Extrapolating these responses to the level of the child suggests that about 31% of children aged 0-6 were enrolled in ECD programmes by Nov/Dec, compared to at most 15% in July/August. [...] The researchers found that ability to pay ECD fees was likely a key constraint to a larger recovery of the ECD system towards the end of 2020. [...] The main data on access to ECD is shown in the table below: These figures indicate a decline in the number of 0-4 year-olds attending ECD programmes, before the onset of Covid-19.
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