Many passionate caregivers and assistant teachers in South Africa dream of making a bigger impact in children's lives, but feel stuck in stagnant roles. Without formal qualifications, they’re often overlooked for promotions and higher-paying positions. The Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care offered fully online by the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) is designed to break that cycle, empowering individuals with the recognised credentials they need to move forward confidently in their careers.
Why Certification Matters in Early Childhood Education
A Solution for Passionate Caregivers Seeking Career Growth
What You’ll Learn
Fully Online, Flexible Yet Structured
Who Can Apply?
Ready to Take the Next Step?
FAQs
Working with children is both rewarding and demanding. Educators must strike a balance between empathy and educational structure, while also understanding child development, health, and safety standards. Without formal training, even the most caring caregivers may struggle to implement best practices or gain recognition.
The Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Education & Care addresses these pain points by offering a structured, nationally recognised early childhood educator programme. It enables you to:
Transition from assistant roles into formal educator positions
Qualify for leadership roles in early childhood centres
Gain a deeper understanding of developmental milestones
Improve child safety and wellbeing in your care environment
For a deeper look at how qualifications like this can transform your career, read our article on the impact of ECD courses on professional development.
If you're looking for an early childhood development learnership that fits your lifestyle, FPD's online programme model may be the perfect fit. Delivered fully online via a Learning Management System, the programme is asynchronous, meaning there’s no requirement to attend live lectures. You’ll work through your studies at your own pace, with clear deadlines and academic support to keep you on track.
This makes it ideal for:
Parents and caregivers already working in education or childcare
People living in rural or underserved areas with limited access to formal institutions
Professionals seeking a career change into early childhood education
To understand the expectations placed on early childhood educators today, explore our article on what parents and employers expect from ECD professionals.
This programme provides a comprehensive foundation for anyone seeking to become a confident, capable early childhood educator. The content goes beyond theory, equipping students with practical skills that are immediately applicable in real-world early learning environments.
You’ll begin by acquiring essential digital literacy skills, ensuring you're equipped to work in modern educational environments that utilise technology to support learning. Alongside this, the programme develops your academic literacy to enhance communication in both spoken and written English, vital for parent interactions, reporting, and professional development. The African Language Literacy module integrates culturally responsive teaching, empowering you to connect with children in multilingual settings and support identity-affirming learning.
The Foundations of Early Childhood Care and Education module introduces the key theories, historical context, and developmental principles that underpin quality early childhood education. You’ll learn to critically assess current practices and understand how South African history and educational systems influence today’s classrooms.
Through Play-Based Learning and Pedagogy, you’ll discover how purposeful play supports a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. You’ll explore how to design activities that are developmentally appropriate, engaging, and aligned with early learning goals, preparing you to nurture curiosity and school readiness in young learners.
The Educational Psychology module offers insight into how children grow from birth to four years. You’ll explore the stages of physical, emotional, and cognitive development, enabling you to tailor your teaching strategies to each child’s unique needs and learning pace.
Keeping children safe, healthy, and well-nourished is a critical part of early education. This module equips you to implement hygiene practices, monitor child wellness, create nutritious meal plans, and maintain safety protocols, skills vital to running or supporting a preschool environment.
You’ll master curriculum planning by learning how to create engaging and educational activities that support all aspects of a child’s development. In Assessment in ECCE, you’ll gain tools to evaluate both children’s progress and your teaching practices, helping you make informed decisions and adapt learning strategies as needed.
The programme concludes with an extensive practical module, placing your knowledge into action in supervised early learning settings. This hands-on experience ensures you're job-ready, able to apply theory with confidence in real educational contexts.
FPD's online programmes are designed for working adults who need flexibility, but still want a robust academic structure. With six start dates a year and a pay-per-module model, it’s easier to manage your time and finances while you study.
The programme is delivered entirely online, with no real-time lecture attendance required, allowing you to progress at your own pace within defined milestones. All modules are supported by qualified academic staff to ensure you succeed.
To enquire about the programme, you should have:
A Grade 12 National Senior Certificate, or
An equivalent NQF Level 4 qualification
This programme will run over two years and is split into eight-week modules. Each module includes seven weeks of study and a one-week break.
Becoming a certified early childhood educator could open doors to long-term career opportunities, greater job security, and a deeper sense of purpose. Whether you're looking to start your journey or take your experience to the next level, this early childhood educator programme offers a clear path forward.
If you're passionate about working with children and want to make a lasting difference, enquire today to see if you're eligible for the Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Education & Care.
This programme is ideal for assistant teachers, caregivers, or anyone passionate about working with young children (ages 0 to 4) who want to gain formal qualifications and advance their career in early childhood education.
You will earn a Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education, which is registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF Level 5) and recognised across South Africa. It also serves as a pathway to further study, including a Diploma or Bachelor of Education in ECCE.
Yes. The programme is delivered fully online and is asynchronous, meaning you won’t need to attend live lectures. You can study at your own pace within set deadlines using FPD’s Learning Management System.
Absolutely. This programme is structured to suit working professionals. You’ll study one module at a time over eight-week periods, with six intakes a year, allowing for flexibility while maintaining academic rigour.
You must have a Grade 12 National Senior Certificate or an equivalent NQF Level 4 qualification. If you have relevant work experience but do not meet the academic entry requirements, you may still be eligible for qualification through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Yes. You’ll be fully supported through FPD’s Learning Management System, which includes academic assistance, structured learning schedules, and access to experienced faculty.
Graduates can pursue roles as early childhood educators, preschool assistants, crèche supervisors, or work in community-based child development programmes. The qualification also opens doors to further study.
You’ll gain practical and theoretical knowledge across key areas of early childhood education, including child development, educational psychology, health and nutrition, curriculum planning, and play-based learning. You’ll also complete a practical module in a supervised early childhood setting. Find out more in the full programme overview.
Yes. The programme is registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training and is recognised by relevant authorities, ensuring credibility and value in the job market.
You cannot apply directly. Instead, you must enquire first to begin an automated vetting process. This ensures you meet the eligibility criteria before proceeding to the next stage. Click here to enquire.