To realise the ideal of quality inclusive education, proper financial management is vital. Existing literature indicates that the mismanagement of school funds is largely due to principals and the school governing bodies (SGB) in many schools not having good working relationships with stakeholders and lacking the necessary financial skills, more specifically in schools in townships and rural areas. The study we report on in this article investigated the financial management of public primary schools situated in urban areas by adopting a qualitative research approach and employing a multiple case study research design. Five schools participated and data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with the principal, school accountant and chairperson of the SGB of the selected schools. Findings revealed that, despite the fact that all South African schools are governed and controlled by the South African Schools Act, the financial management of fee-paying schools differs from no-fee schools situated in townships and rural areas. In many schools, the unavailability of the parent members of SGBs and their limited financial skills were barriers to effective financial decisions. Based on these findings, we recommend that the relevant stakeholders involved in school financial management obtain continuous training from the Department of Basic Education, in order to empower and support school governors to effectively carry out their financial functions.

Leadership plays a central role in improving and sustaining quality in Early Childhood Development (ECD) settings in the South African context. This article explored the leadership of the Inclusive Education Policy (IEP) and the challenges experienced by ECD centre managers and teachers. Children with disabilities are most vulnerable, marginalised, and denied access to early education, especially in rural communities. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystems theory, the study adopted a qualitative approach. The participants included three centre managers and three teachers from Early Childhood Development centres in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The findings revealed that most participants had minimal knowledge and understanding of the policy and its implementation. There was also a lack of leadership from the policymakers to ensure that the IEP was monitored, supported, and implemented. Our recommendations are that all ECD practitioners receive appropriate training and development on the policy, ongoing support and guidance in implementing the policy, and proper resources for their centres and playrooms (financial, physical, and human resources).

The South African Journal of Childhood Education (SAJCE) is a peer-reviewed journal that provides a forum for the dissemination of research in childhood learning and development and the care and education of children from birth to 12 years. The journal is interdisciplinary in scope and seeks to stimulate the exchange of ideas in a variety of subjects, contexts, and issues in childhood education and child care.

Parents of young children are often unaware of the general importance of play in children’s development and their own roles in children’s play. Lack of leisure, lack of space, the COVID-19 pandemic, Early Childhood Centre teacher communication and use of media and digital toys for children, have affected and reduced children’s free play. Drawing on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development as an underpinning theoretical framework, this paper explores the contestations of play and learning using parents’ voices. The study used open-ended qualitative questionnaires to extract parents’ feedback on their understanding and practices of play with 3–4-year-old children. The researchers used convenient purposive sampling and selected 6 parents of young children from middle-income families in Pretoria, South Africa. In a time of schoolification of the early childhood years, the findings highlight that although parents believed that play was essential, they set up structured learning environments for their 3–4-year-old children at home. The study accentuated the importance of parent intervention programmes so that parents are aware of how to engage in play with their children appropriately, and what the appropriate adult roles for extending and enhancing play are.

Educational research confirms that early childhood education can impact positively on the lives, well-being, safety, growth, development and academic performance of young children in the birth to 4 years age group. In South Africa (SA), Early Childhood Development (ECD) has been recognised and identified as a critical nodal point for the country's social and economic transformation and development. However, ‘schoolification’ has become an epidemic which has promoted standardisation of education, reduces teacher autonomy and envisions ECD Centres as preparation for school rather than preparation for life. This article attempts to contest schoolification, using snapshots of pedagogy in participation for early years in South Africa. The study investigated the perceptions of practitioners and centre managers of 10 well-resourced and 8 under-resourced centres in 5 of the 9 provinces in SA. This article forms part of a larger funded project on Transformation Pedagogy. The most illustrative examples from the data collected were used to elicit alternative quality practices for pedagogy in participation. The findings encourage practitioners and policy makers to reconceptualise ECD as a co-constructive process. The article offers recommendations for teacher preparedness and child-centeredness, by provoking a reconceptualization that involves making schools children-ready rather than making children school-ready.