Derek Pienaar

In February then president Thabo Mbeki, in his State of the Nation address, listed Apex Priorities for inclusion in the government’s Programme of Action. Apex Project 11 demands the implementation of early childhood education programmes be speeded up, the number of trained staff increased and the number of sites and children bene­fiting doubled by the end of 2009.

Early childhood is a vulnerable and critical period for growth and development. Research has shown that the way adults provide for and treat young children determines their physical, spiritual and emotional development.