Crèches turn into havens for fraudulent money deals
*50 unlicensed child care facilities operating in Gaborone
*One unlicensed facility charges P5600 per term for children aged between two and five years
It is a week day morning and there is a mad rush as parents and taxi drivers drop off their children at crèches or with babysitters. The little ones will spend the whole day singing, eating and playing with their age mates until the late afternoon when they are collected to head back home. Life is sweet for them; they haven’t a care in the world. Often times, parents pick the closest, most convenient and cheapest crèche to enroll their children. It is rare to check if the facility is registered, meets the standards stipulated by the Ministry of Education and if the individuals entrusted to take care of the children are properly trained. Most parents take it for granted that anything could happen.
If the place is welcoming and the minder seems trustworthy they entrust their child and put everything in God’s hands. Creches, nurseries and day care centres are often designated for children from a few months old up to the age of six, and are designed to provide custodial care. Pre-schools are usually meant for older children and are concerned with school preparation. With the growth of this sector, many unregistered facilities are cropping up across the country. As expected, Gaborone, which is the most densely populated urban area, has more than 50 unlicensed child care facilities in operation. But there are risks that come with leaving children at an unregistered facility.
Firstly, should anything happen to your child, you will receive little support from authorities. Children also possibly do not receive the necessary care and follow a curriculum by trained educators and caretakers. SUN REPORTER Keletso Thobega looks at the challenges of clamping down on unregistered crèches, as well as the desperation of parents who throw caution to the wind and use these facilities because they charge lower fees. The Gaborone City Council recently released a list of almost 40 zama-zama facilities believed to be run for some individuals to earn a quick buck. They include day care and child-care as well as babysitting facilities, some of which do not even have registered names. The World Bank predicts that in the next few years, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in sub-Saharan Africa are likely to expand substantially.
A research paper on childhood education and care in Africa, compiled by the University of Botswana Education department in conjunction with Arnon-Bar On, notes that the first ECCE facilities were established shortly after independence in 1966 and most of these programmes were privately owned, but gradually non-governmental organisations set up others. “At the time, the policies laid down provided a minimal framework for ECCE operations, with equally minimal supervision. Most of these programmes were poorly financed and depended on annual grants to supplement their low fees.” It further notes that district and town councils, some of whose facilities were purposefully built, evolved from a child-feeding scheme in the 1980s.
By 1992, NGOs ran 44 percent of the programmes, VDCs and a few councils operated 29 percent and 27 percent were privately run, according to the paper. By 1996, however, the private sector accounted for 40 percent of the centres, showing a marked shift to the commercialisation of the field outside the rural areas. “The aim of the programmes varied between enabling parents to go out to work, helping children to develop and predominantly, school preparation. In smaller poorer villages, the aim was to provide employment, first in building the facility and maintaining it.
Alternatively, some parents regarded ECCE as feeding schemes.” Fast forward to 2017, and crèches are mushrooming. Most of them offer services at cheaper fees but some are not registered and do not meet the required standards. The considerations include class/status of the users, language of conduct, culture, number of children in the class, competence of staff members, the quality of the equipment and buildings, the learning curricula, amenities and food. The Midweek Sun visited one listed unregistered crèche after a phone call.
The lady said that the crèche enrolls children between the ages of two and five. School fees are P5600 per term, full day (including swimming lessons and three square meals) and P5100 per term for half day. The lady boasted that the child would be able to read well after a few weeks. The crèche is operated from a residential house and has been decorated with popular cartoon images, with toys scattered around. There is an elderly and mid-aged help who attends to the few kids in their care.
When queried on whether the facility was registered, the woman identified as the owner, clammed up before responding: “Ee, o belaela eng? Go botlhokwa.” (Of course we are registered). A background check however showed that the facility is not among those listed by the Ministry of Education and Gaborone Council and that the woman had given a false name. Cost is a key factor that often attracts parents. To date, there is no regulation for fees for crèches, babysitting services and pre-schools. Like most schools, the private institutions set their own prices.
For example, a revered crèche and pre-school, Cinderella Pre-school charges an average of P6600 per child, per term for full day (7am to 5pm). Kindergarten and pre-reception classes go up to P6900. The cheapest are playgroups for babies and toddlers that charge average P2000. There is also P150 charge for late payment, an extra P50 if a child is picked up later than 5pm, as well as several extra curricular activities that range between P400 and P800 per term each.
