Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 11(1):39-48 Conflicting discourses of private nursery entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Type
E-Journal
Authors
ISSN
1463-9491
Category
ECCE, Preschool
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Publication Year
2010
Publisher
SAGE Journals, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States
URL
[ private ]
Pages
10 p.
Subject
Early childhood education, ECCE, Funding, Vulnerable children, Disadvantaged children, Disadvantaged communities, Private sector, Early childhood centres, Diversity, South Africa
Tags
Abstract
The South African government has adopted a poverty-targeted approach to provisioning in early care and education. This approach prioritises public funding for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Given the need to address past imbalances and the context of limited financial resources, the private sector has been given an increased role in financing and delivering early care and education. To date, little attention has been paid to how private providers configure their services. This article seeks to address the gap. Through the analysis of the discourses of private entrepreneurs and their staff in two early childhood centres in urban KwaZulu-Natal, it is argued that the business approach in early care and education, with the focus on parents as customers, is narrow and limiting. It marginalises access for young children from disadvantaged groups and downplays the diversity that characterises young children's lives in South Africa.
Description
Article
Number of Copies
1
