This study explores the perceptions, experiences and challenges that Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners in ECD centres in Blouberg have with implementing the norms and standards for both partial care facilities and learning programmes as regulated by the Children’s Amendment Act 41 of 2007. ECD refers to the developmental, physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and social processes in children from birth until at least nine years of age (Department of Education [DOE], 2001). Since ECD centres are at the frontline of providing a range of ECD services paramount to the development of children, the way in which ECD practitioners understand, experience and operate under the influence of legislation and policies needs to be researched to improve service delivery and develop effective models of practice. The study targeted ECD centres in the Blouberg region of the Western Cape where 20 ECD practitioners belonging to 18 ECD centres were interviewed. An exploratory qualitative research design and a non-probability sampling approach making use of both purposive and snowball sampling techniques, were used to select the participants. The main findings emanating from the study were that: most ECD practitioners perceived that the norms and standards for ECD facilities promote the safety and protection of their service recipients; the implementation of norms and standards, however, were not effectively monitored; they were extremely costly to implement; practitioners did not have sufficient time in the day to implement them; that adhering to norms and standards for ECD learning programmes enhanced the development of the child and cultivated diversity; continuous changes in the curriculum posed various challenges to how effective learning programmes were monitored; norms and standards for learning programmes did not adequately account for children with disabilities; factors such as the long and difficult registration and re-registration processes, as well as the local economy and external financial environment made implementing norms and standards challenging; ECD practitioners in smaller, privately run centres experienced a lack of support from government; and that ECD practitioners were supported by various structures such as the Blouberg ECD Forum, the Department of Health, the Fire and Rescue Services as well as the local community that consisted of parents, businesses and professionals. The main recommendations emanating from the study include: providing tax incentives to private sectors supporting ECD centres; increasing the capacity, responsibility and authority of local ECD Forums; improving the Department of Social Development’s (DSD) reporting and investigating processes by partnering with the Department of Health (DOH), extending the current national school feeding scheme to include ECD centres; providing a once off registration/re-registration grant to NPO’s and smaller privately run ECD centres based on a means test; increasing support and introducing an increased grant to ECD centres catering for children with disabilities; promoting partnerships with professionals in the private sector to promote disability screening campaigns and education; to provide ECD centres with specific curricula so that they are able to cater for children with disabilities; rewarding positive parent-practitioner partnerships; and promoting parent involvement practices from a policy and legislation point of view. Recommendations relating to the research process specifically include expanding on the sample of participants to include privately run ECD centres as well as NPO’s.

Bibliography: leaves 82-84. / South Africa is a large country with large needs; there are many social problems such as poverty that need to be addressed. Children in South Africa are affected by many of these social problems, such as malnutrition, poverty, and HIV / Aids. This research looks at what is being done for children in South Mrica; it looks specifically at the child grants or money given to children by the state. In reviewing the South African child grant system, it was appropriate to compare it with different countries. This was done using a comparative, cross-cultural and cross-national study. Countries, whose social and economic situations are similar to South Africa, have been chosen for an analysis to determine whether South Africa's present system is effective. The countries were selected based on a comparison of the GDP and literacy rates. Canada and Botswana were also studied in this research: Canada as a developed country example, and Botswana as a country with a similar heritage to South Africa. There has been much criticism of the South African social administration for children; this has prompted a major reflection thereof. This has been assessed in this research as another possibility in helping to provide for children. The aim of this research was to compare the South African child grant system to that of other countries, and analyse the proposed new grant system for South Africa. The analysis was completed using a framework of questions designed to extract information for comparison. The results indicate that South Africa should consider prioritising the child grant system specifically in terms of funding. The proposed child grant system could eventually be applied; however presently South Africa does not have the infrastructure to put the system in place. A closer look at Portugal's social administration could prove informative as they already have this system in place. This research is an analysis and interpretation of the available materials. This is a limited view, which opens possibilities for future research.

Bibliography: leaves 67-71. / This study, conducted at Poor Man's Friend Secondary School (fictitious name), describes the use of Time Tabled School time. In fact, it quantifies the Time spent on Instruction and relates it to Learner Engagement-rates. Cumulatively, these variables impact on Learner Outcomes.

Includes summary. / Includes bibliographical references. / The study aimed at exploring the approaches used by sport-for-development organisations to monitor and evaluate their programmes offered to schools in the Cape Metropole. The study contributes to the growing fields of programme monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as well as sport-for-development in South Africa. The study’s sample comprised NGOs that used sport as an entry point to engage young people and engender behavioural change, thereby reducing youth vulnerability to sexual and reproductive health issues.

Bibliography: leaves 109-114. / Children with chronic health conditions in South Africa are a vulnerable group of children, whose additional needs resulting from their condition places financial strain on their caregivers and families. Poverty plays a significant role, and often exacerbates the situation for these children and their caregivers. They are a group of children who require additional assistance from the State - social assistance (a term used for financial aid in South Africa) is one form of support that can be extended to these children. The present social assistance provisioning for these children Iimited, and assessment processes and instruments are unsatisfactory. This study is an examination of the application of international social assistance assessment instruments to the South African context, namely the Australian Child Disability Assessment Tool and the United Kingdom's Disability Living Allowance Claim Form. The study purposed to make recommendations for the development of an appropriate South African social assistance assessment instrument. Secondly, it aimed to demonstrate through the application of these international tools that there are areas of need related to chronic health conditions that are presently not provided for by the current South African social assistance programme. The study design assumed the form of a descriptive, comparative study of existing international instruments. Non-probability sampling was employed, and the findings of the study are analysed via a combination of quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

This research study sought to explore the sustainability of organisations in the field of substance abuse in South Africa. The rationale of this study was based on the premise that the number of substance abusers is increasing, therefore the organisations have to remain functional to deal with the increased demand of services. The study explored the financial position of organisations in the field, perceptions regarding policy and legislation, staff related effects of working in the field, factors that make organisations vulnerable to closure and sustainability threats.

The outbreak of the pandemic had a severe impact on every sector, including the NPO sector. This research has investigated the impact of COVID-19 on non-profit organisations (NPOs) in Cape Town. Due to the unprecedented nature of this crisis, there is limited literature on how the pandemic has affected non-profit organisations in South Africa or in Cape Town. This research seeks to contribute to closing this gap. The main objectives of this research are as follows: Firstly, to understand the challenges imposed by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, mostly known as COVID-19, on NPOs' access to funding, which subsequently resulted due to the lockdown restrictions. Secondly, to understand the challenges imposed by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in the operations and the ability of NPOs to implement programmes. Thirdly, to understand the role of NPO leadership during the lockdown restriction levels. Finally, to understand what strategies were implemented by NPOs to mitigate the challenge imposed by lockdown restrictions. This is a mixed methodology research study, and purposive sampling was used to select participants in this research study. The research study has used quantitative and qualitative research methods when collecting data. Survey questionnaires were emailed to 70 NPOs, 28 of which completed the questionnaire. For the qualitative data collection, 34 NPOs were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews, 12 of which participated. Some of the interviews were conducted virtually using Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, and other interviews were conducted face-to-face. All coronavirus regulations were observed. The research has found that the virus lockdown restrictions had a severe impact on the financial stability of organisations. The lockdown restrictions have made it impossible for organisations to generate revenue. On the other hand, the lockdown restrictions have challenged organisational leaders to improve their technological skills, as they were forced to run their organisations through virtual platforms. Employees in all sectors, including the NPO sector, were forced to work remotely as a way of adhering to the lockdown regulations. Be that as it may, organisational leaders who were interviewed for this research study highlighted their staffs' hard work during the initial phases of the lockdown regulations, and for their role in the resilience of organisations since the outbreak of the pandemic. Finally, having strategic plans prior to the outbreak of the pandemic have been found to be effective during the initial phases of the lockdown, especially when it comes to guiding the decision-making process. Organisations were able to use their existing strategic plan to decide which programmes needed to be prioritised.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-105). / This quantitative study seeks to understand the management used in four ""ex-DET"" schools, and four ""ex-Model C"" schools, now both termed pubic schools of Cape Town, South Africa. Part of the study questions whether South Africa's former apartheid laws, which resulted in Bantu education, still impacts on school management today. Three staff members from each of the four former Department of Education (""ex-DET"" or ""Black"") schools, as well as three staff members from each of the four former ""ex-Model C"" (""White"") schools were asked to participate. That included each of the schools' principals, the schools' development officers, and another senior manager nominated by the respective school principal. Each was asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire which I had drawn up after extensive reading and research on the subject. This reading included looking at international management authors' work, school-specific management research, the history of education in South Africa, and current South African school management policies. The main current South African school management policies used in this study include: the South African Schools Bill (1996), the Second White Paper on School Organisation, Governance and Funding (1996), the Whole Schools Evaluation Policy (2000), the Collective Agreement on Integrated School Management Systems (2003), the Educators Employment Act (1994), and resolutions to the Educators Employment Act (1994). The questionnaires were predominantly comprised of closed questions, with a few open-ended ones being incorporated so as to be able to gain a little more insight in certain areas. After having met the respondents and dropping off the questionnaires, they were then collected on completion. The data was captured through the use of a process using excel spreadsheets before I was able to begin reflecting and deducing conclusions from it. I began by identifying norms for each category of school's management, and then comparing them against one another. The results showed that different styles of management and perceptions were present between the two (ex-DET and ex-Model C) groups, of eleven respondents each. The majority of all twenty-two respondents indicated that they feel apartheid still affects their schools current means of management. Conclusions were drawn in chapter five and then recommendations for the Department of Education, ex-Model C schools, ex-DET schools, and further researchers were made accordingly.

Reintegration for internally displaced returnees in Nigeria needs improvement due to the barrier returnees encounter when returning to their communities of origin. As a path to recovery following the unsettling experiences of generalized violence caused by Boko Haram terrorist attacks in Northeastern Nigeria, there is a need for best practices to mitigate challenges during reintegration for internally displaced returnees. With an estimated 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Northeastern Nigeria at the end of 2022, 1.98 million have returned to their prior residence, where they must cope and survive while attempting to reintegrate without effective and efficient support to ensure sustainability. Hence, this study aimed to explore the reintegration process among returnees while identifying the barriers that affect their reintegration process from a subjective standpoint in Michika local government area, Adamawa state. Data were systematically collected from 20 returnees using Ethnographic overt-participant observation and interviews qualitative research methods guided by Charmaz's Grounded Theory research design. Data collected were analyzed using constant comparison. Results revealed three themes that capture the process of reintegration and the barriers therein; 1)Returning, which highlights experiences leading to the IDP decision to return home and the basic needs required during this phase; 2) Readjusting, which points to the need for physical safety in avoidance of secondary displacement; the process of resettlement and adjustment to the sociocultural changes associated with the return and 3) Rebuilding that highlights individual, communal, and institutional roles and challenges with rebuilding the returnee's life and community. The study reveals how inequities or the absence of proper infrastructure to aid reintegration can hinder reintegration. The study recommends more community-based participatory action processes when developing and implementing interventions to support returnees during reintegration. It advocates that the 2012 National Policy on Internal Displacement must be held up to its purpose for enactment

For the 20,000 youth that exit the foster care system each year in the United States, educational achievement is difficult to attain as they navigate the transition into adulthood with limited supports and resources (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2021). These youth are three times more likely to drop out of high school than their counterparts. Only 50% graduate from high school, and only 3% obtain a college degree (Courtney et al., 2011). Current efforts to support this population primarily focus on individual, relational, and economic factors with less consideration for the impact of community characteristics on educational outcomes. This study utilized Catalano and Hawkins' (1996) Social Development Model as a theoretical framework for an examination of the county-level percentage of youth who demonstrated educational achievement at the age of 18 and ten county-level risk and protective factors. Secondary data for a sample of counties within Florida (n = 57, 55, 55, 52, & 55) were gathered from multiple government sources from the years 2018 to 2022 respectively, and then merged and linked at the county level, allowing for separate analysis before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic for each year. Sample sizes varied across years and ranged from 52 to 57. Four linear regression models were tested for each year in the sample except for 2021 as no factors were found to have a significant association with educational achievement in 2021 at the bivariate level. Results varied by year with county-level poverty having a significant positive association at the bivariate level with educational achievement in the years 2018, 2019, and 2022 and significantly predicted educational achievement in 2019 in a linear regression model. High school dropout rates also had a significant positive correlation with educational achievement in the years 2018 and 2022 and unemployment rates had a significant positive correlation with achievement in 2018. Participation in organized sports and school band had significant negative associations with educational achievement in the years 2018, 2020, and 2022 at the bivariate level and regression models revealed participation in organized sports and school band significantly predicted educational achievement in 2018 and 2020 respectively. Given that the effects had an unexpected direction, findings from this study do not support the use of SDM in understanding county-level educational outcomes for youth exiting foster care. However, results point to the need to test alternative frameworks, such as those that suggest limited economic opportunities as drivers of educational enrollment and other frameworks that emphasize the negative effects that a lack of social capital can have on youth in environments where participation in extracurricular activities is valued. The combination of this county-level study and past studies from the individual level point to a need for future exploration through multi-level modeling, which could disentangle individual effects of risk and protective factors from contextual effects of the community.