Latest news with #SesameWorkshop
The Herald
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
Improving ECD must be a national priority
Sesame Workshop managing director Dr Onyinye Nwaneri said ECD was often mistakenly seen as a social welfare issue rather than a catalyst for long-term growth. 'It's an understandable, but flawed perception that underestimates the profound economic benefits that investment in ECD can bring,' she said. SA faces a major access gap — more than a million children aged three to five are not enrolled in early learning programmes. Citing global research, Nwaneri said that for every rand spent on ECD, returns of up to 13% could be expected. 'These returns come from improved educational performance, increased employment opportunities, higher lifetime earnings and reduced social costs,' she said. Despite these benefits, SA allocates just 0.5% of its total government expenditure to early learning. 'This level of funding remains untenably low, and this will continue to limit the potential economic and social benefits that could be realised through more significant investment into the lives and development of SA's young children,' Nwaneri said. She noted that targeted ECD investment could generate 670,000 new jobs and empower women, who make up 95% of the ECD workforce. 'Studies suggest that each new ECD position enables six to 10 other women to pursue employment because they have reliable childcare,' she said. University of Johannesburg education expert Mary Metcalfe reinforced the urgency of the situation, highlighting the long-term consequences of poor foundational literacy. 'Children who cannot read for meaning by grade 4 fall further and further behind as the curriculum depends on the independent reading of text across all subjects,' she said, referencing the department of basic education's 2022 Systemic Evaluation, which found that only 20% of grade 3 pupils could read at the required level. Metcalfe said inequality in early reading success mirrored systemic inequalities: overcrowded classrooms, a lack of reading materials and under-resourced teachers. 'While the department of basic education aims for a limit of 45 learners in a class, in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, more than 20% of grade 3 teachers reported having classes larger than 70. 'Only 46% of grade 3 children had language textbooks. Reading is not just about education; it's about justice and opportunity,' Metcalfe said. She called for targeted funding, better teacher support and widespread access to books in home languages as non-negotiable priorities. 'Investment in improving literacy in the foundation years must be a national priority. 'This must go beyond broad declarations of intent and be visible in evidence-based planning aligned to realistic assessments of resource needs,' she said. Both Nwaneri and Metcalfe argued that improving ECD and foundational literacy must be a national priority backed by strategic investment and public-private collaboration. 'This is not just the right thing to do socially, it's the smartest economic choice SA can make,' Nwaneri said. This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix Saves ‘Sesame Street' From Trump's Reign of Terror
There are still sunny days ahead for Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby, who have all survived Trump's recent assassination attempt, thanks to the rescue efforts of Netflix. The streamer just announced that beloved children's program Sesame Street will move to its service, after the Trump administration cut funding for its decades-long home, PBS. The news comes following a tough few months for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, which lost its contract with HBO after the network sought to shift away from children's programming. Then, another financial blow came from the current administration, after President Donald Trump cut federal funding to PBS, the free public broadcasting service that's been airing Sesame Street for over 50 years. These issues caused what executives described as a 'perfect storm' of problems for the program. Under the new Netflix agreement, new episodes will premiere on Netflix and PBS on the same day, ensuring the educational program stays accessible for millions of children across the country. That in itself is a gesture of good will between the streamer and the public broadcaster that could be construed as a political gesture amid Trump's cuts. 'This unique public-private partnership will enable Sesame Workshop to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix's global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,' Sesame Workshop CEO Sherri Westin said in a statement. The Netflix deal will begin with the 56th season of Sesame Street later this year and will feature new formatting changes, dropping the magazine-style format in favor of 11-minute story sequences. The show will also take a more character-driven focus as is typical of other popular children's shows like Bluey. As soon as the news dropped about Sesame Street finding a new home, people took to social media to celebrate, expressing their relief that the program can continue despite Trump's funding cuts. Thanks to the new deal, Elmo and his friends will get continue to do what they've always done best: teach kids how to read and count, all while making sure they feel like they will always have a friend to guide them in this chaotic world.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sesame Street' Heads To Netflix With Streaming Deal For PBS Children's Series
Sesame Street has a new streaming home. Netflix has picked up the children's series, which will make its debut on the streamer later this year with an all-new, reimagined 56th season — plus 90 hours of previous episodes — available to audiences worldwide. Netflix is coming on board after HBO Max opted not to renew its Sesame Street streaming deal at the end of last year. Finding a new streaming partner has been considered critical to the series' financial survival. More from Deadline It Starts On The Page (Limited): Read 'Adolescence' Episode 3 Script With Foreword By Stephen Graham & Jack Thorne Mark Ruffalo & Tucker Pillsbury Join Natalie Portman In Lena Dunham's Netflix Rom-Com 'Good Sex' Kim Kardashian-Paula Pell Netflix Comedy 'The Fifth Wheel' Taps Eva Longoria To Direct; Gloria Sanchez To Produce The new episodes, which will now each center on one 11-minute story, will be available same day-and-date in the U.S. on PBS stations and PBS KIDS digital platforms, maintaining U.S. kids' free access to early learning, which Sesame Street is all about. That is a departure from Netflix's typical push for exclusivity unless a second window on a library title is involved. In addition to format changes, the new season will feature the return of fan-favorite segments like Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck. Sesame Workshop is the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, with Sal Perez and Kay Wilson Stallings serving as executive producers; Emmy, Humanitas, and NAACP Award nominee Halcyon Person (Karma's World, Dee & Friends in Oz) joins as head writer. As part of the deal, Netflix will also be able to develop video games for both Sesame Street and Sesame Street Mecha Builders. While HBO Max shifted focus away from kids and family programming a couple of years ago, it represents 15% of Netflix's total viewing with shows such as CoComelon. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies In Order - See Tom Cruise's 30-Year Journey As Ethan Hunt Denzel Washington's Career In Pictures: From 'Carbon Copy' To 'The Equalizer 3'
eNCA
24-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Early childhood development crucial to economic growth
JOHANNESBURG - Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana has announced additional funding of R10 Billion for early childhood development. The allocation will increase access to include 700 000 children under the age of five. According to Managing Director of Sesame Workshop, Onyinye Nwaneri, this allocation will assist in creating employement, and children will be able to achieve their development milestones.
Screen Geek
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Netflix Saves Beloved Series From Being Canceled
Netflix tends to be very picky about what shows it renews or cancels, but in an exciting announcement, it looks like Netflix will be saving a beloved series instead. This particular show, one that's been a popular property for years, recently lost its home at HBO Max. Now Netflix will be offering an alternate home for new episodes of this series to debut. Interestingly, this series will operate somewhat differently at Netflix than it did with HBO Max. It looks like fans will have a multitude of ways to enjoy this show's comeback. This move also underscores Netflix's ongoing commitment to providing family-friendly content, with a particular focus on shows that have made a significant cultural impact over the years. By stepping in to save a beloved and influential educational series, the platform not only preserves its legacy but also guarantees that it will continue to educate and inspire new generations of viewers. As shared via THR: 'Netflix is stepping in to save Sesame Street . 'The streaming giant has inked a deal with Sesame Workshop for new episodes of the long-running children's show, just months after Warner Bros. Discovery opted not to renew its output deal for the program in a strategic shift as its streaming service Max.' While on HBO Max, Sesame Street would have new episodes air there, while it would take months before the episodes made their way to PBS. With the new Netflix deal, Sesame Street episodes will be running day and date on PBS alongside their Netflix debuts. Sesame Workshop CEO Sherri Westin shared the following statement regarding the new collaboration with Netflix to release new episodes of their beloved series: 'This unique public-private partnership will enable Sesame Workshop to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix's global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,' Westin stated. 'I strongly believe that our educational programming for children is one of the most important aspects of our service to the American people, and Sesame Street has been an integral part of that critical work for more than half a century,' added Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS. 'We're proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.' Sesame Street will make its Netflix debut with Season 56, which will contain a new format for the beloved series including a new animated element titled Tales From 123 . It's been said that the new season will drop in three 'batches' on Netflix. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more Netflix news and any Sesame Street updates as we have them.
