EARLY EDUCATION OF ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN: A CRUCIAL ASPECT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT

Abstract


In the last decade there has been a significant escalation in the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in various parts of the world, more particularly, in Sub- Saharan Africa. The author strongly asserts that early childhood education is the main vehicle to address the concerns of OVC in order for them to develop skills and human capital as future adults in order to improve the outcomes for governance and economic development in Africa. He argues on the basis of inclusion that a social justice framework is essential in taking the rights of OVC into consideration. Adopting a bio- ecological systems theoretical model the author presents research findings on the educational, psychological and social experiences of OVC to motivate the need for African governments to take on the responsibility of addressing the plight of OVC through early childhood development and education interventions if they are serious about economic sustainability and prosperity. Although the research discussed in this paper was conducted in South Africa the author believes that the findings could easily depict what happens in the rest of Africa. In concluding, the author considers the implications of the findings in relation to future policies and directions needed for crucial development in Africa.



Jace Pillay | source: Published under the Creative Commons Attribution License. 451 |
Categories: Care


Other articles

The Aid ‘Darlings’ and ‘Orphans’ of the Great Lakes Region in Africa

This paper looks at the developmental consequences of aid flows on the Great Lakes region in Africa. Our main hypothesis…

Read more

Oral health status of orphanage children, Tumkur: A survey report

Background and Aim: It has been well documented that the absence of family support influences the general and oral health…

Read more

Orphans, Converts, and Prostitutes: Social Consequences of War and Persecution in the Ottoman Empire, 1914–1923

Considerable research has been conducted on the relationship between the First World War and the persecutions of Ottoman…

Read more

Children’s psychosocial wellbeing in the context of HIV/AIDS and poverty: a comparative investigation of orphaned and non-orphaned children living in South Africa

Background: Recent studies have questioned whether orphanhood is primarily associated with key dimensions of psycho-social…

Read more