Investment in early childhood development (ECD) has the prospect of cultivating
potential within individuals and can assist in bridging the social equity gap from a very
young age. Over the past decade Grade R has been the strongest policy lever used by
the Department of Basic Education to improve early learning. The National Development
Plan calls for universal access to two years of early childhood development prior to
entering Grade 1. This paper explores the merits of this proposal, given the specific
South African context. More specifically, this analysis intends to bring new information to
bear on three matters. The first relates to the demand side and aims to identify
participation trends among four- and five-year-olds. The second objective is to consider
the supply side and aims to understand the policy space in which pre-Grade R will
function, the quality and quantity of infrastructure already in place, and the expertise of
ECD practitioners. The final matter considers the implementation of a universally
accessible pre-Grade R within a constrained system and the requirements to ensure that
it will have a significant impact on those children most in need.