Grow Quality Early Learning in Malungeni.

The next contact session in Malungeni will take place later this month. It is being funded by the DG Murray Trust.

This contact session marks an important new development for Africa A+ Schools (A+). A+ is collaborating with academic colleagues at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the University of the Western Cape in piloting a new training programme. The programme is called the Child Participation Framework and Toolkit (CPFT).

The CPFT has been developed as a tool to introduce teachers to the concept of the rights of children, and to provide teachers with practical tools to give effect to those rights in their ECD centres.

The pilot will begin this month with introducing teachers to the concept of children's rights and examining one particular aspect of those rights in their teaching practice. For most ECD teachers, the idea that chilldren should actually participate in the decision-making process of the class will be new and somewhat foreign.

Particular attention will be given to training up two Community Facilitators to promote the CPFT in the Malungeni ECD community. They will monitor and mentor teachers in the periods between contact sessions.

The pilot programme is an important step in finalizing the CPFT prior to its publication and official launch (probably at the beginning of 2027). Malungeni is set to play an important role in demonstrating its relevance and applicability in a rural ECD setting. We are excited about it!