Microfinance Focus, October 28, 2011: In a workshop organized under the Fiji Financial Education Curriculum Development (FinED Fiji) Project, about 30 teachers from Lautoka, Fiji, went through professional development training on personal money management and investment on Thursday.

The FinED Fiji Project involves the integration and strengthening of financial education within the school curriculum from Class 1 to Form 6.

The FinED Fiji Project’s first professional development workshop for primary regional champion teachers was held earlier this year. During this earlier workshop, 13 primary teachers from three school divisions in Fiji were exposed to financial education, learning outcomes, methods of integrating the management of money and investing. These teachers were trained in the use of financial education student resources and teaching and assessment materials within the Class 3 and Class 4 curricula.

The Curriculum Advisory Services Division of the Ministry of Education is leading the Ministry’s FinED Fiji efforts. The Division has worked with the regional champion teachers since early this year.  Regional champion teachers are the pioneer teachers leading the introduction of FinED in schools and responsible for the training on the use of the resources.

By 2013, it is expected that on an annual basis, 197,000 students will have exposure to financial education at all schooling levels from Class 1 through to Form 6.  The FinED Fiji Project is funded by the Australian Aid Program in Fiji and is jointly managed by the Ministry of Education and the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme. Young Enterprise Trust of New Zealand, are the providers of specialist and technical services to the Project.