Backpacks for the future

By Pascale Bakos, Head of Communications at Afrika Tikkun Bambanani

Across the world, the back-to-school ritual begins the same way. A small backpack sits on a big bed, unzipped and waiting. In Tokyo, Helsinki, Lagos, New York, and Cape Town, parents lean over the open bag, slipping in lunchboxes, crayons, spare socks, and sometimes a comfort toy that smells like home.

The moment looks ordinary. In early childhood development, that backpack carries far more than supplies. It carries a child’s future.

What fills the bag before formal schooling

What goes into that bag in the early years is rarely visible. You do not measure it in notebooks or label it with names. It is packed with language, confidence, curiosity and a belief that the world is worth exploring.

Global research shows the most valuable foundations are formed long before children enter formal classrooms. These early experiences shape how children learn, relate to others, and respond to challenges throughout life.

Why early childhood matters in South Africa

In South Africa, this image holds particular meaning. Many children arrive at their first day of early learning with backpacks that look the same on the outside but feel very different inside. Some arrive supported by daily conversations, stories read aloud and safe spaces to play.

Others arrive with lighter packs, not because of limited ability, but because opportunity has been uneven.

Around the world, education systems are recognising the fairest time to level the field is right at the beginning. The focus is shifting from catching up later to building strong foundations early.

Packing skills, not pressure

Post-pandemic education debates are less about speed and more about strength. Progressive systems prioritise play, emotional literacy, and connection over early testing and pressure. In many South African early childhood centres, this approach already exists because it is essential, not fashionable.

Every day, practitioners add invisible essentials to children’s backpacks.

• Stories shared in more than one language support inclusion
• Games that require turn-taking develop patience
• Predictable routines build safety and resilience

These are the human skills societies and workplaces now value most.

The cost of neglecting early learning

The biggest risk lies in assuming early learning takes care of itself. When early childhood development is under-resourced or undervalued, children lack the tools they need to succeed. The cost appears years later in classrooms, workplaces and communities.

Global evidence is clear. Investing early delivers strong social and economic returns. This is not charity. It is sound long-term planning.

Voices from the sector

Theresa Michael, CEO of Afrika Tikkun Bambanani, explains the reality on the ground.

“In the communities where we work, children often arrive with very little in their physical bags, yet with immense potential. Our responsibility as educators, practitioners, parents and policymakers is to ensure what we place inside those early backpacks goes far beyond stationery and uniforms.”

Choosing what we value

As South Africa heads back to school, the image of the open backpack deserves another look. Early childhood education is not only about preparing children for the next day. It prepares them for the long journey through schooling, adulthood and participation in society.

What we choose to place inside those early backpacks reflects what, and who, we value for the future.