About SARAECE's establishment
Background to ECE in South Africa
Prior to the establishment of SARAECE, the ECE field was highly fragmented and represented by small interest groups without a unified voice or vision. There was also a dearth of research in the field to inform both ECE and the education of teachers for ECE. Universities worked in isolation from each other. Teacher education programmes were often criticized for not being fully responsive to the need for teachers to work in multiple, diverse South African education contexts. There was an urgent need for an inclusive association with a strong research base and focus that would be able to lead and represent the field in a purposeful manner.
The birth of an idea for a research association
The intention to establish an association for research, training, and development began at an international ECD conference held by the Foundation Phase subject group in the Faculty of Education Sciences at North-West University (NWU) in February 2011. The session was attended by representatives of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), who recognised the potential for synergies to be created between the proposal put forward at the conference, and the DHET’s “Strengthening Foundation Phase Teacher Education” project supported by funding from the European Union. The conference delegates strongly supported the idea of establishing such an association, and it was proposed that the DHET call a national workshop to which a representative from each of the universities involved in teacher education would be invited. The meeting was held on 11th May 2011 in Johannesburg and 16 representatives from Education Faculties in South Africa attended the meeting. The idea to establish a research association for the ECE sector was again unanimously and strongly supported.
The following resolutions were adopted by the delegates present:
To nominate a task team to explore the preliminary ideas, processes, and documents for the formal establishment of such an association. Dr Ona Janse van Rensburg from North-West University (NWU) was nominated to coordinate the activities of the task team from seven universities.
To establish a research association that focuses specifically on ECE.
To develop concrete links with the South African Journal of Childhood Education (SAJCE), the establishment of which was being funded through the DHET programme. It was envisaged that SAJCE would become the primary vehicle through which research promoted by the association could be published and disseminated.
The task team was given the brief to utilise the ideas that were generated in the national workshop to:
develop a concept document that discussed the need for, the nature, and role of the envisaged association.
develop a draft constitution for the association.
consult the representatives that attended the meeting on 17 May as the task team worked towards finalising the concept paper and constitution.
submit the two documents mentioned above to the organisers of the Literacy Education Winter School (LEWS) for distribution to the LEWS attendees in order to facilitate engagement with the documents prior to LEWS.
The documents were presented, discussed, and refined at LEWS 2011.A committee to lead the association for the first three years was elected at LEWS. This committee led the association until
the national launch conference in February 2014.