The DBE, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), hosted the Quality Assurance of the Versioning of Standardised Curriculum Implementation Support Packs workshop at Emperors Palace from 24 to 31 May 2026. The workshop brought together curriculum specialists, subject advisors, language experts, and Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners from all nine provinces to strengthen and refine curriculum implementation materials for children from birth to five years.

The initiative is grounded in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), finalised in 2015 as a guiding framework for holistic early childhood development. The framework focuses on key developmental areas such as wellbeing, communication, early mathematics, and understanding of the world, while promoting play-based learning and responsive caregiving. The DBE’s Ms Kgopotso Khumalo explained that although the NCF provides a strong foundation, implementation challenges revealed a need for more practical guidance to support practitioners in daily teaching and learning. Research conducted with UNICEF and other partners confirmed that educators required clearer and more structured tools to translate the framework into meaningful classroom practice.

In response, the DBE and UNICEF developed the Curriculum Implementation Support Packs approximately three years ago. The packs were designed to bridge the gap between policy and practice by translating the NCF into practical and easy to use daily learning resources. They are structured into age cohorts from birth to one year, one to two years, two to three years, three to four years, and four to five years, and organised into 20 themes that support developmental progression.

Ms Khumalo further added that the packs provide practitioners with step-by-step daily guidance while still allowing flexibility to adapt activities according to classroom contexts and the individual needs of children. The resources also place strong emphasis on inclusivity and are designed to support children with diverse learning needs, including children with disabilities.

Ms Vuyelwa Ntuli, Education Specialist for ECD emphasised that the purpose of the workshop was to ensure that the versioned packs are linguistically accurate, developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and contextually relevant. She noted that the quality assurance process is essential in maintaining the integrity of the curriculum whilst ensuring that the materials remain practical and accessible for practitioners across diverse communities. She further highlighted that subject advisors and curriculum specialists from all nine provinces are reviewing the translated materials to ensure accuracy, clarity, and suitability for classroom implementation before the finalisation process expected later this year.

The workshop aligns with the Department’s 2030 Strategy for Early Childhood Development and reflects a shared commitment to improving the quality of early learning in South Africa. Through strengthened curriculum support, inclusive practices, and practical learning resources, the initiative aims to empower practitioners and create enriching learning environments that will give every child a stronger foundation for future growth, learning, and success.