The work of early childhood development practitioners is one of the major sources of income for black women. But, much like domestic workers, ECD practitioners constitute a forgotten generation of women who work, wait and sow endlessly on the pathways of life, yet never get an opportunity to earn, progress and reap.
ECD practitioners form the backbone of many of the poor and impoverished areas in the Western Cape and elsewhere in the country. Some practitioners set up small businesses that begin with just taking care of children whose parents work away from home. They feed and teach children, often starting out with little knowledge and experience in teaching.
As black, adult women, they had been bruised by the inequalities that permeate our country’s social and economic landscape. They had been marginalised from social and economic growth. What we found in the research was astonishing. Universities do not accept ECD qualifications successfully completed at TVET colleges.
International research on adult women shows that as students, they are determined to succeed and achieve their goals to obtain degrees and pursue their careers. They are career-orientated and are more determined than other participants in higher education.