MOTHER TONGUE-BASED BILINGUAL EDUCATION: THE CHALLENGE OF INCLUSION
Limiting teaching to one or two languages in linguistically diverse schools can overlook learners’ linguistic diversity and can further marginalise languages that are less widely spoken in the school setting. A recent journal article explores what happens when bilingual education is introduced in linguistically diverse under-resourced schools – and asks an important question: who is […]
FIELDWORKERS: CONNECTING CONTEXT, FEEDBACK AND ACTION
“Fieldworkers experience the context behind the data. Quality data starts with the people who understand why accuracy matters.” There is a story behind the data we see and use. Most importantly, there are people on the ground who ensure that this data is collected. Long before the data reaches funders, policy makers, decision-makers and practitioners […]
An Exploration and Study of what the ECDI2030 and ELOM 4&5 tools can tell us about South African children
DataDrive2030 is continuously exploring new tools and approaches to assessment. Our Senior Product Manager, Elizabeth Girdwood, and the team are examining how results from the ELOM 4&5 compare with those from the ECDI 2030 when applied to the same children. The study explores how the ECDI 2030 can be applied in the South African context, […]
We’re Hiring: Communications Specialist – Thrive by Five Index (2026–2028)
DataDrive2030 is a rapidly growing social enterprise committed to driving change in the ECD sector through data-informed solutions. As the organisation responsible for delivering the Thrive by Five Index, we are preparing for a new three-year cycle that includes strategic planning, fieldwork, provincial engagements, national data releases, and a coordinated communications effort. To ensure the […]
AMID FUNDING CONSTRAINTS, OPEN DATA AND SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS PRESENT A SUSTAINABLE OPTION FOR AFRICAN RESEARCH
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, research funding is tightening just as the demand for actionable evidence reaches an all-time high. A central theme at the recent Africa Evidence Summit in Addis Ababa – Powering Policy with Innovative, Inclusive, Transparent Data – drove this reality home: financial constraints are forcing a fundamental shift in how we generate knowledge. […]
FOUR PRIORITIES FOR ADDRESSING SOUTH AFRICA’S EARLY LEARNING ACCESS GAP
Nearly 30% of South Africa’s four-year-olds are estimated not to be enrolled in an Early Learning Programme (ELP), and children outside ELPs show poorer early learning outcomes than their enrolled peers. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ADDRESS THIS GAP? In a recent Daily Maverick discussion, The Invisible Backbone: How Women Have Shaped the Childcare […]
FROM DATA TO INSIGHT: FIVE FACTORS SHAPING EARLY LEARNING OUTCOMES
Our Executive Director, Sonja Giese, recently hosted a fireside chat alongside Palesa Nkabane, eCares Project Lead at the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE), at the SmartStart Constellation of Stars conference. The core theme, “From Data to Insights – What the Evidence is Telling Us?”, invited the ECD ecosystem to consider that a child’s […]
INSIDE THE ROLE OF AN ELOM TRAINER
“Good assessments start with good training.” If our assessors are the frontline of data collection, our trainers are the architects of its accuracy. They equip assessors with the knowledge, skills and confidence to use the ELOM suite of tools consistently in the field. For Liezl Worship, DataDrive2030’s Master Trainer, that means building the people who […]
DATADRIVE2030’S WORKFORCE WARRIORS: BUILDING A TRUSTED EARLY LEARNING ASSESSMENT TEAM
Behind every trusted dataset is a team of dedicated professionals committed to operational rigour, ethical data collection and standardised quality assurance. At DataDrive2030, this operational engine is driven by our Workforce Warriors team— which recruits, trains, accredits and manages a national network of highly skilled ELOM field assessors. These frontline professionals ensure that every child […]