PROG2017-2021_Outcome-2_South-Africa_Gender Responsive Early Childhood Education

VVOB’s 2020-2021 multi-year programme in South Africa will adopt a pilot approach to gender-responsive pedagogy in early childhood education (GRP4ECE). In close collaboration with relevant stakeholders (DBE, SACE and others) the existing GRP4ECE toolkit (developed by VVOB and FAWE Africa) will be contextualised through (larger) round-table and (smaller) working group sessions. This contextualised version will be piloted with teachers and school leaders in KwaZulu Natal. District officials (all 30 ECE SAs) will be capacitated to monitor Gender Responsive Pedagogy in schools. A total of 72 schools, 180 teachers and 108 school leaders in 3 districts and 30 Subject advisors (all districts) will be capacitated. Teachers will also receive capacity development on Professional Learning Communities. PLCs are a voluntary way of professional development, promoted by the DBE. VVOB will monitor these PLCs and on request support in facilitating/assisting. In depth external research will be used to determine the impact of the pilot-intervention and to formulate recommendations for improvement. Findings will be used to finalise the GRP4ECE approach and formulate recommendations for integration into the existing pre-service and in-service training system. The outcomes will be tabled at relevant meetings in DBE. An international symposium will bring stakeholders from around the country and selected other (African) countries together to discuss Gender Responsive Pedagogy and the integration into the existing system.