ECD Census South Africa 2021

South Africa’s Department of Basic Education commissioned the ECD Census 2021 to collect data on all Early Childhood Development programmes to obtain a clear picture of the early childhood development landscape in South Africa. The ECD Census 2021 counts all ECD programmes (registered and non-registered).

The data will be used to integrate ECD into the Education Management Information System (EMIS). The information will also enable planning for greater inclusion of children with disabilities and the delivery of integrated health and safety programmes. The Department of Basic Education is responsible for the ECD Census, supported by the Department of Social Development, funded by the Lego Foundation.

Data collected on ECD facilities includes registration of the facility, the geographical location of the site, basic infrastructure (access to roads, electricity, toilets, water) and special equipment. Other facility level data collected includes the financial base of the site, the nature of the site (school-based, home-based or community based), its sustainability (how long it has been operating), its operating hours, and key aspects of the educational activities at the site. At the educator level, the audit collected data on all educators at the site, including their age, gender, race, highest school grade, highest qualification, teaching experience, and monthly salary. Data was also gathered on learners at each site, including the total number of learners disaggregated by age group, race, and gender. Data was also captured on the number of learners with disabilities and the nature of such disabilities.

Access the dataset via the University of Cape Town’s DataFirst portal here.

Download the 2021 ECD Census report here.