Early Childhood Education Beyond the Anthropocene: Drawing on Indigenousness Knowledge Systems and Ubuntu to Shape ECE Curricula, Policy, and Pedagogy

In South Africa, Early Childhood Education (ECE) is defined as “a comprehensive approach to education policies and programmes for children from birth to five years with the active participation of practitioners, their parents and other caregivers”. South Africa’s vision for ECE is to protect children’s rights by providing environments and resources for the development of a child’s full potential in all aspects of growth and development: cognitive, emotional, social, physical and moral. Research has shown that quality care and education during early childhood are beneficial to children’s growth and development throughout their lives. Environments and programmes must thus provide varied and age-appropriate experiences for young children in the years before formal schooling. This intervention could not be more urgent, given the reality that more than one-third (36%) of the 19.5 million children in South Africa are under the age of 6. Of the children below 6 years old, approximately 4 million live in the poorest 40% of households, with the gap between rich and poor widening. Research also indicates that the children who live in the poorest conditions have the least opportunities for growth and development. There is no equitable access to quality ECE provision and resources, and there is no equitable expenditure on ECE across geographic areas. Stark inequalities exist across the country, with poor and wealthy children being exposed to considerable variation in the delivery of essential services based on the area in which they live. To address these disparities, the president of South Africa recently signed into law the mainstreaming of ECE. This creates the space for contemplating innovative approaches to provide equal access to ECE. My paper, drawing on qualitative research conducted in South Africa, demonstrates how Indigenousness Knowledge Systems and Ubuntu can be used to inform education about nature, the environment, and sustainable futures.