Meeting early childhood learners’ needs through partnership work between adults in South Africa: Potentials to promote systemic change

Meeting early childhood development (ECD) needs potentially contributes to strengthening community communication and bonds, contributing to breaking cycles of poverty by building stronger foundations for life. In this article, we report on two recent case studies conducted in Eastern Cape (South Africa) ECD settings. We aim to illustrate the impact of the interventions and advocate for possible system changes to better address learners’ needs. In this unequal context, many systemic challenges hinder implementation, where learners present with diverse and extensive needs. The research question probed the utilisation of an educational partnership approach within the ECD space. The studies utilised action research methods in their design, with each progressing through six action cycles. The researchers trialled parent-practitioner partnerships with participants from three ECD centres across two settings (one urban and one rural) to promote involvement and two-way communication. Working collaboratively with parents and educators who volunteered to participate, the researchers explored possibilities for changes in practice to improve home-school interactions. Both projects demonstrate the benefits of partnerships with parents in the ECD system, given the difficulties practitioners face in under-resourced settings. The two case studies show adults gaining greater agency and communicating more effectively (for example, parents working with educators and educators networking across different centres). The common emergent themes provide evidence of the potential for beneficial changes through partnership work, building collaboratively on people’s combined knowledge of local contexts and circumstances.