Geography dictates not only resources but also exposure. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
Does a child’s future depend on where they are born? In South Africa, the answer is “yes.”
We speak of education as the “great equaliser”, yet the truth is that a child’s environment, whether they live in a village or a city, a suburb or an informal settlement, shapes how and what they learn before they even step into a classroom.
In some communities, a child might arrive at a colourful preschool, where trained teachers guide them through puzzles, books and creative play, planting the seeds of critical thinking, numeracy and language development. They may play outdoors safely, observe insects, ask endless “why” questions, and be met with patient, curious adults who guide exploration with stories and songs.
In contrast, a child in a remote village may spend their day looking after younger siblings, fetching water or sitting in a classroom with no books, no toys and a single teacher managing four age groups at once. Their questions may go unanswered, their hunger may overshadow their curiosity, and their opportunities to learn through play may be scarce.
Research shows that 90% of brain development happens before the age of five, yet the quality of stimulation children receive in these critical years depends largely on their environment. Access to clean water, safe spaces to play, nutritious food and parents or caregivers who have time to talk to them and tell stories are not just “nice to haves”. They are the building blocks of literacy, problem-solving skills, emotional well-being and the foundations of lifelong learning.
Geography dictates not only resources but also exposure. A child growing up in a community where adults read, where libraries are within walking distance and where children can safely explore nature, enter grade 1 with an advantage that cannot be captured by standardised tests alone. They arrive at school with a broader vocabulary, an ability to concentrate and a curiosity that drives them to learn. Conversely, for many children in under-resourced areas, the world remains small, their vocabulary limited and their curiosity dampened by the daily issue of survival.
It is easy to blame schools when children cannot read for meaning by the age of 10, but we forget that learning starts long before that. Children learn by observing, listening, touching and interacting with the world around them. If a child’s environment is one of deprivation, where caregivers are too burdened to talk or play with children, or where there are no safe spaces to explore, the learning gap starts early and deepens over time.
In South Africa, only a fraction of children under the age of five attend early childhood development (ECD) programmes that meet the standards necessary for optimal development, with rural and informal settlements lagging furthest behind.
Nutrition and health are deeply tied to geography. A child who is malnourished struggles to concentrate and is more susceptible to illness, leading to absenteeism from early learning opportunities. Access to healthcare services, including maternal health and immunisations, varies across geographic regions, further entrenching inequality.
In areas where violence is common, children may experience toxic stress, which has been shown to disrupt brain architecture, leading to long-term difficulties in learning, emotional regulation and social skills. Safe, nurturing environments are essential to allow children to learn without fear, and geography often determines the level of safety a child experiences daily.
Geography shapes not only physical environments but also cultural practices and community structures. In some rural communities, extended families and communal caregiving can provide rich opportunities for social learning and storytelling, while in others, poverty may force children into adult responsibilities, limiting time for play and learning.
Urban environments, while often providing greater access to resources, can also be isolating for children, with limited safe outdoor spaces and parents working long hours, leaving children in the care of overstretched caregivers. The balance between resource availability and community support structures varies, and understanding these nuances is crucial in designing interventions that support early learning across different environments.
Technology, community-based programmes and innovative mobile learning solutions are bridging some of these gaps. For example, mobile libraries, solar-powered digital learning stations and radio-based storytelling programmes have been used to bring early learning resources to under-resourced areas. Apps designed for early literacy and numeracy can provide children with access to engaging learning materials even in areas where schools are under-resourced.
But these innovations cannot replace the need for safe, nurturing physical environments and the human interaction essential for young children’s development. Technology should be seen as a tool to supplement, not replace, the need for community-based ECD centres, well-trained teachers and caregiver support.
Despite progress, technology and innovation are not enough without the political will to prioritise early childhood development for every child, everywhere. Investment in ECD is not only a social imperative; it is an economic one. Studies show that for every rand invested in early childhood development, there is a significant return in terms of future productivity, reduced social welfare costs and improved societal outcomes.
Imagine if every village had a safe, stimulating ECD centre. Imagine if parents in informal settlements had the support and tools to turn homes into learning spaces. Imagine if community health workers were equipped to support parents with practical strategies for early stimulation, nutrition and responsive caregiving.
Imagine if geography did not decide a child’s destiny.
Addressing the geographic inequities that leave some children hungry, others neglected and many stuck in cycles of poverty without access to quality early learning requires a multi-faceted approach. This includes expanding access to quality ECD programmes, improving infrastructure in under-resourced areas, supporting parents and caregivers with practical tools for early learning, and integrating nutrition and health services into early childhood programmes.
Theresa Michael is the chief executive of Afrika Tikkun Bambanani and leads a team that has implemented an early learning programme at more than 700 ECD centres in rural and under-resourced communities in South Africa.