DRAFT: 2/18/2008
South African Foundation for Economic and Financial Education
(SAFEFE)
Background
The political and social transformation in South Africa led to a demand for a curriculum
transformation. As stated in the overview document of the National Curriculum Statement
(NCS), the South African constitution inspired and required a change in the school curriculum to
support the development of learners and students who can participate as holistic, developed
citizens contributing to an improved society and economy.
Thanks to economic growth and democratic transformation, ordinary people are now more
engaged in diverse economic activities. Their roles as consumers, producers, workers, investors,
and productive citizens require a heightened level of economic literacy to enable them to better
comprehend the world and make good decisions for the future. As voters, individuals need to
understand the economic issues surrounding local, state, national, and international
policymaking. A better understanding of economic issues can enable citizens to recognize the
forces that affect them every day, helping them identify and evaluate the consequences of private
decision-making, the role of businesses, and public policies. “It is only when citizens are
articulate and well informed that the institutions of a democratic market economy will function
effectively.” (U.S. National Council on Economic Education [NCEE], 2003).
Economic Literacy can be defined as the ability to: identify economic problems, alternatives,
costs, and benefits; analyze the incentives at work in economic situations; examine the
consequences of changes in economic conditions and public policies; collect and organize
economic evidence; and weigh costs against benefits
The ability to apply economic literacy skills is critical to the people of South Africa. Basic
economic skills form a significant part of the school curriculum in the National Curriculum
Statement for Economic and Management Sciences (EMS). Economics is compulsory within
EMS from Grades R to 9, and an elective from Grades 10 to 12. Unfortunately, teachers are not
sufficiently trained to impart economic literacy skills to their learners. An intervention strategy
to improve the level of economic literacy is desperately needed.
SAFEFE has successfully partnered with the NCEE, the Provincial Departments of Education,
(PDoE) and businesses to conduct a series of economic education programs. (See Appendix 5:
SAFEFE Partners.)
Vision
For South Africa to have citizens who can make good choices in order to effectively function
within a market economy in a globalized world.
For South Africa to have citizens who are empowered to successfully participate in the
transforming society and thus insure the future well-being of the country.
Mission
To develop the economic literacy of today’s learners by providing comprehensive, continuing
professional development opportunities for teachers.
Many South African teachers feel unprepared to help their students achieve the nationally
mandated EMS and Economic standards. SAFEFE is prepared to support educators through the
provision of professional development opportunities and the development of appropriate
classroom materials. These training opportunities and support materials will be employed by
teachers in grades R through 12 to help learners successfully meet the required assessment
standards in the curriculum and to acquire the economic skills needed in a developing,
transforming country.
Goals/ Strategic Objectives
To raise awareness of the current EMS standards at the GET level and Economics Standards
at the FET level.
To improve teacher competencies in economics through professional development.
To provide support for teachers through the development and dissemination of appropriate
learning and teaching materials.
To support teachers in preparing their learners to achieve national compulsory learning
outcomes and assessment standards: EMS for GET and Economics for FET
Core Values
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Living and operating in a market system requires individuals to understand how market
systems operate.
Learning and applying economic principles (economic way of thinking) will provide
individuals, families, and communities the opportunities to attain a higher standard of
living.
SAFEFE’s vision and mission can best be achieved through broad-based support and
partnerships with educators, businesses, agricultural organizations, government, unions,
and communities.
SAFEFE will best serve teachers and learners by maintaining the highest standards of
academic excellence in programs, materials, and research.
Main Initiatives
The mission of SAFEFE will be accomplished through the following initiatives and programs:
1. Provision of comprehensive professional development programs to prepare teachers to
help their students meet the National Standards in EMS and Economics;
2. Development of materials to help teachers prepare students to meet the National
Standards;
3. Advocacy and promotion of economic and financial literacy;
4. Research on economic education and effectiveness of SAFEFE programs; and,
5. Networking and communication among the different levels of economic education.
Initiative 1: Provision of Comprehensive Professional Development Programs
SAFEFE will continue to collaborate with NCEE to offer the following international programs
and opportunities:
 Training of Trainers:
To help develop a strong core of teacher trainers, programs are conducted for participants from universities,
provincial departments of education, and schools. During four one-week seminars, participants are
immersed in the study of economics content and pedagogy. Graduates of this program are expected to train
classroom teachers in their country.
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Training of Teachers
NCEE offers introductory workshops for teachers with a limited background in economics. These
workshops emphasize an active learning approach and introduce basic economic concepts to teachers.
These workshops demonstrate NCEE materials and methods, and generate interest in further training.
These workshops are offered in response to interest expressed by Provincial Departments of Education.
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Training of Writers
Many NCEE materials have been translated, adapted, and used by teachers in partner countries. However,
there is a pressing need for new instructional materials developed in-country by educators who can address
the specific needs that are outside the experience of U.S. experts. To help develop such a pool of writers,
NCEE conducts workshops on writing. Through intensive writing exercises, guidance from writing experts,
feedback from peers and follow-up work via e-mail, writers improve their skills in producing instructional
materials.
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Study Tours
Selected graduates of the Training of Trainers program travel to university-based centers for economic
education in the U.S. where they learn about economic education delivery. Through visits to resource
centers, observations of classrooms and workshops, field trips, cultural activities, and meetings with
council and center staff and community leaders, the South African visitors gain knowledge and experience
that help them as they develop delivery systems in their own country. In return, U.S. teachers of economics
are selected to visit schools, institutions of higher learning, SAFEFE, and provincial departments of
education to better understand the democratic transformation taking place in South Africa.
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Alumni Projects
NCEE provides matching funds to graduates of the Training of Trainers program to support development
and improvement of economic education in South Africa. Partner organizations can conduct workshops,
translate or adapt NCEE materials, develop websites, publish brochures and newsletters for teachers,
conduct briefings for educational leaders and mass media, and carry out other activities to further economic
education.
SAFEFE is proposing to develop the following comprehensive professional development
programs for South African teachers:
Courses with South African Council of Education (SACE) endorsement for Continuing
Professional Teacher Development (CPTD)
Training of Writers Program
Advanced Certificate of Education (ACE) for EMS teachers
Courses with SACE endorsement for CPTD activities
Overview
SAFEFE will develop lessons and modules into comprehensive professional development
courses for teachers. The courses will prepare teachers to help students achieve the EMS and
FET assessment standards in economics. The courses will be designed to improve teacher’s own
understanding of economics.
Courses will be developed for endorsement at each of the GET phases: Foundation (grades R-3);
Intermediate (grades 4-6); and Senior (grades 7-9) and the FET level.
SAFEFE will work with the Departments of Education to (1) align basic economic concepts with
each of the GET levels and (2) align each of the assessment standards to the basic economic
concepts. (See Appendix 1: Basic Economic Concepts.)
Delivery
Courses will be divided into sequential training modules for educators at each of the levels.
Modules will be offered at various locations and various times throughout the calendar year,
typically coinciding with school holidays. Educators will need a “certificate of completion” for
each module before progressing to the next module.
Beginning in 2009 educators will need to accumulate 150 continuing professional teacher
development points per three year cycle to retain their teaching licenses. The courses will be
designed so that teachers will earn points toward fulfilling these new professional development
requirements.
Courses designed to meet the accumulation of professional development points need to be preapproved SACE. Endorsed activities will come into effect 2009.
SACE Endorsement
Criteria for SACE endorsement are:
 Likelihood of the activity contributing to improved competence in professional practice
in the field of education
 Activity will be accessible to participants in under-served geographical and learning areas
 Activity is aligned with system needs as indicated by DoE and SACE
 Activity is likely to promote the improvement of schooling and the responsibilities of the
teaching profession in a transforming society
 Opportunity for participants to demonstrate what they have learned from the activity
 Notional learning hours for the activity (capture differentiating features of activity rather
measure duration of activity)
These criteria match the proposed courses to be offered by SAFEFE for GET teachers in all
phases. With SACE approval, the courses developed by SAFEFE can be used to meet 80 of the
150 points required for continuing professional teacher development.
Professional development activities are grouped into three categories:
(1) School based activities: Activities within a school such as a school improvement
project that aims to improve learner achievements.
(2) Self-directed activities: Activities undertaken by the teacher that are related to his or
her own professional development. This category can include an individual research
project focused on the improvement of teaching.
(3) Provider driven activities: Professional development activities offered by universities,
departments of education, teacher unions, NGOs, and for-profit providers. These
activities are more formal with structured modes of assessment.
Teams of master trainers will be identified to teach these endorsed courses. These teams may
consist of learning facilitators, curriculum specialists, content advisors, teachers, South African
higher education faculty, and U.S. faculty who have completed the NCEE “Train the Trainers”
program. Trainers of these courses will receive 80 credits toward the 150 points needed for
professional development in recognizing their contribution to their own and others’ professional
development.
This course development and module packaging process has already been initiated by the Free
State GET Learning Facilitators who have participated in NCEE’s Train the Trainers program.
The team is aligning economic concepts with each of the GET levels. A similar process may be
undertaken for FET (grades 10-12).
Training of Writers Program
SAFEFE will also offer an endorsed professional development course, based on the “Training of
Writers” program offered by the NCEE. The program brings together educators with strong
writing and instructional skills to collaboratively develop lessons that are engaging for the
learners and appropriate for their educational level and country context. SAFEFE’s initial
program will be led by U.S. faculty with the goal of moving to an annual program co-taught by
U.S. and South African faculty members, and evolving into a program led by South African
faculty. The SAFEFE Writers Program will focus on developing materials to be used by South
African teachers. The lessons and learning activities will be developed by South African writers
using culturally appropriate terminology and examples, and the materials will be available in
indigenous languages. These materials will be designed for implementation at the GET, FET,
and University levels.
While this program is designed to create new materials, SAFEFE will also work with trained
writers to contextualize and adapt other materials for South Africa, called versioning lessons for
South African learners.
Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) for EMS
SAFEFE will work to develop a consortium of higher education institutions that will develop an
ACE for GET level teachers. Members of the consortium will offer the ACE that is developed
under the guidance of SAFEFE. An ACE for FET is currently being developed in the Eastern
Cape by NCEE alumni. (Note: ACEs may be phased out.)
Initiative 2: Development of Materials
SAFEFE will contextualize and adapt NCEE learning activities to South Africa. Other lessons
and learning activities will be developed and versioned. This is especially true for materials
developed for the SAFEFE courses for the Foundation phase teachers. The lessons that are
developed for learners will be linked to the basic economic concepts and the national assessment
standards.
Learning Facilitators in the Free State have already begun to translate basic concepts at the
Foundation level in the following languages: Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, and
Tswana. Artists have been contracted to draw pictures for the foundation level concepts. These
Learning Facilitators have been trained by Elzmarie Oosthuizen, Free State Department of
Education, during a training program for Foundation level educators.
Initiative 3: Advocacy and Promotion of Economic Literacy
The following is a list of completed, upcoming, and potential advocacy initiatives:
Completed Initiatives:
 GET Olympiads, Intermediate and Senior Phase
Successfully developed and implemented in Free State in 2007 at 1,300 GET schools,
August 2007.
 Professional Development Workshops
o GET Foundation Phase: 40 Teachers in Free State, April 2007
o FET Economics: 77 teachers in the Free State, May and June 2007 (two groups)
o GET Learning Area Managers and Provincial Coordinators: 45 participants in
Northern Cape, May 2007 (Faculty: K. Oosthuizen, M.. van Wyk)
o FET Economics Teachers and Subject Advisors: 76 participants in Northern
Cape, May 2007 (Faculty: K. Oosthuizen, M. van Wyk)
o GET Foundation Phase: 20 Teachers in KZN, October 2007 (Faculty: E.
Oosthuizen, P. DeVilliers)
o GET Intermediate Phase: 18 Teachers in KZN, October 2007 (Faculty: L.
Danso)
o GET Intermediate and Senior Phase: 164 teachers in the Free State (two
groups), November 2007. (Faculty: FS GET LFS who are NCEE Alumni)
Upcoming Initiatives:
 GET Olympiads
Intermediate and senior level, Free State and Northern Cape, 2008
 FET Olympiad
Funded program, Eastern Cape, 2008
Potential pilot, Bloemfontein, 2008
 Economic Education workshop, September 2008
Program to be held at the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa
(AEASA) annual meetings in Namibia
 Economic Education Conference, March 2009
Concurrent sessions including lesson demonstrations, presentations of research on
effective teaching techniques, SAFEFE programs, round table discussions, and plenary
speakers.
 Development of an association for economic educators (see Appendix 2)
 GET Foundation Phase workshop in Eastern Cape (April or May 2008)
Potential Initiatives:
 Teaching Awards for innovation and leadership in economics
 Community Mentorship program
Program for staff members of non-profits, government agencies, and community
organizations who are interested in providing personal finance education to low
income families
 Entrepreneurial development programs for adults and youth programs.
 Financial Literacy for teacher young adults, as well as learners
Initiative 4: Promote Research on Economic Education
To promote research on economic education SAFEFE will adapt standardized tests for the
foundation, intermediate, and senior phases of GET; the FET level of economics; and economics
at the university level.
SAFEFE will provide support for university faculty to conduct economic education research by:
Facilitating research groups (in progress)
Providing standardized tests
Coordinating grant writing efforts
Providing support for researchers to present their work at national and international
conferences
SAFEFE will make every effort to support and encourage research related to economic
education, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of NCEE alumni to develop and fund their
research initiatives.
Governance
Ms Winkie Direko, current Member of Parliament, former Premier of the Free State, former
Chancellor of the University of the Free State, will serve as Intermediary Chair of SAFEFE
Board of Directors. The chair and vice-chair will be elected from the pool of directors. The
secretary and vice-secretary will be appointed by the board of directors.
The National Minister of Education will appoint two representatives to serve on the Board.
The University of the Free State will be represented by the Dean of Faculty of Natural and
Agricultural Sciences or a person appointed by the Dean to represent the Faculty.
National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) will by represented by the NCEE’s Vice
President of Economics International (voting ex-officio member).
Minnesota Council will be represented by the Executive Director (ex-officio member).
(SAFEFE is modeled after the Minnesota Council thus they serve an advisory role on the board.)
The Board will elect representatives from the following groups to serve on the SAFEFE Board:
 Reserve Bank of South Africa.
 South African higher education institutions
 Corporate Social Investment (CSI) community
 Financial Services community
 Public Relations/Marketing community
 Small Business community
 Manufacturing/Mining community
The Board will strive to have a diverse ethnic, racial, and gender mix.
Given approval by the SAFEFE Board of Directors, the Executive Director will work the Chief
Directors of Education in the provinces.
Attachments:
Appendix 1: Basic Economic Concepts
Appendix 2: Association of Economic Educators
Appendix 3: SAFEFE Partners
Appendix 4: Time Line
Appendix 1 Basic Economic Concepts
Fundamental Economic Concepts
Scarcity and Choice
Opportunity Costs and Trade-Offs
Productivity
Economic Systems
Economic Institutions and Incentives
Exchange, Money, and Interdependence
Microeconomic Concepts
Markers and Prices
Supply and Demand
Competition and Market Structure
Income Distribution
Market Failures
Role of Government
Macroeconomic Concepts
Gross Domestic Product
Aggregate Supply and Aggregate Demand
Unemployment
Inflation and deflation
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy
International Economic Concepts
Absolute and Comparative Advantage, and Barriers to Trade
Exchange Rates and the Balance of Payments
International Aspects of Growth and Stability
Broad Social Goals
Economic Freedom
Economic Efficiency
Economic Equity
Economic Security
Economic Stability (employment, inflation)
Economic Growth
Philip Saunders, J. Gillard, A Framework for Teaching Basic Economic Concepts with Scope
and Sequence Guidelines for K-12, National Council on Economic Education, 5th printing,
2005, page 10.
Appendix 2: Association of Economic Educators
Purpose
One of the priorities of the National Minister of Education, Ms. Naledi Pandor, is to establish
professional associations for educators in various learning areas. Conscious of this national
priority and the need for improved economic literacy, SAFEFE can help establish an association
of economic educators provided there is sufficient interest. This association will follow the
model of the existing Association of Mathematical Educators in South Africa (AMESA).
AMESAS has coordinated with the South African Mathematical Society (SAMS), together
representing the entire mathematical community in South Africa. They established a Foundation
to provide administrative and logistical support for their organizations.
The purposes of such an organization would be to:
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Provide a forum for the communication and exchange of ideas and information for those
interested in and concerned with economic education;
Serve as the principle professional organization of economic educators in South Africa;
Promote programs in economic education that are objective, non-political, and
academically sound;
Impact the standard of economics teaching and learning in South Africa;
Enable educators to participate in programs that will increase their confidence in meeting
the challenges of curriculum changes; and
Serve as a liaison with the Global Association of Economic Educators (GATE).
Process
SAFEFE will contact existing associations in the provinces, and ask NCEE alumni to report
other active associations for economics teachers in their provinces.
The relevant associations can determine if an existing association should be expanded to a
national level or if a new association with its own constitution needs to be established. SAFEFE
can help with this process.
Appendix 3: SAFEFE Partners
National Council for Economic Education (NCEE), United States
The mission of the NCEE is to promote economics education and capacitate teachers. This
Economics International initiative uses a variety of closely linked, intensive programmes to
promote education reform. Together, these programmes help partners build their own economic
education infrastructures, while simultaneously promoting international links among teachers
and strengthening US educators’ understanding of economic transition and educational reform
abroad.
The Economics International programme activities include a Continuum of Professional
Development. To develop a strong core of teacher trainers in every country, the NCEE faculty
conducts Training of Trainers programmes that strengthen trainers’ economic knowledge and
instructional skills in 24 days of training. The most promising graduates are invited to develop
their professional skills further in programmes such as a Co-Faculty Workshop in which they and
their U.S. mentors co-teach local educators. The “multiplier effect” is profound. From Training
of Trainer to Co-Faculty workshops to local teacher workshops, a new education infrastructure
emerges, reaching millions of learners and students.
Free State Department of Education
The National Curriculum requires economics at all GET levels and requires economics to be
offered at the FET level. Currently South Africa faces a shortage of qualified teachers in
economics. Collaboration with the SAFEFE will provide the PDoE a mechanism to address this
shortage and improve the lessons and materials being used with learners. Given these challenges
the FSDoE is partnering to help find means to
• fill the content gap related to economic concepts
• implement the new knowledge within the curriculum
• effectively manage outcomes-based assessment of economic concepts
• to identify economic education related resources
• manage the transition between primary and secondary schools and GET and FET.
University of the Free State (UFS)
Since 2004 the Dean of Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UFS provided academic
leadership for the economic literacy program in the Free State and Northern Cape. Under
sponsorship of UFS, SAFEFE was established in 2007.
Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
The Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota and the Department of
Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State have had a cooperative relationship
since 2002. UFS faculty on sabbatical at the University of Minnesota observed that the economic
education programs being run through the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (located at
the University of Minnesota) were consistent with the UFS community outreach initiative.
SAFEFE programs and initiatives have been established in consultation with the Minnesota
Council and NCEE.
Other Provincial Departments of Education
The following provincial department of education have joined in the partnership:
KwaZuluNatal; Eastern Cape; Western Cape; Northern Cape; and Northwest.
Appendix 4: TIME LINE
June 2004: Professors Andre Jooste and Klopper Oosthuizen of the UFS Department of
Agricultural Economics observed a NCEE Train the Trainers workshop in Lithuania.
August 2004: Prof. K. Oosthuizen approached the Superintendent General (SG) to establish a
relationship for implementing a similar initiative in the Free State. He was referred to the
Director: CDS, with whom he met to help introduce this initiative.
October 2004: Prof. K. Oosthuizen, Messrs. L. Danso (Learning Area Coordinator for EMS
at the GET level) and K. Motsoeneng (Learning Area Coordinator for Economics at the FET
level) attended the NCEE Annual Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. Both Messrs. Danso
and Motsoeneng supported a more formal relationship among NCEE, the Free State
Department of Education, and the UFS.
November 2005-June 2006: Two Agricultural Economic faculty member from UFS,
Ntsikane Maine and Sam Menza, participated in the NCEE’s Training of Trainers Program
that is a series of four one week seminars held in various locations.
January 2005: NCEE initiated a fact-finding mission to South Africa, headed by Vice
President, Dr. Patricia Elder, and Minnesota Economic Education Council Director, Dr.
Claudia Parliament. They met with executive managers Messrs Khunyeli, Rakometsi,
Khoarai, Abrahams and De Villiers; curriculum officials; learning facilitators, and learning
area coordinators. They also visited 12 schools in the Free State to also directly meet with
classroom teachers.
June 2005: Ms. E. Oosthuizen, Chief Education Specialist, GET level, observed a Training
of Trainer workshop in Ukraine and advised NCEE on adapting workshops for South African
GET teachers.
July 2005: NCEE offers a Training of Teacher workshop for 80 GET teachers at UFS. The
workshops were organized with two “back to back” groups of 40 teachers for a three day
workshop.
September 2005: Prof Sam Mensah from the Agricultural Economics faculty of UFS, Qwa
Qwa campus participated in NCEE International Train the Writers program as the only
representative from South Africa.
October 2005: Messrs F. Sithole, M. Jacobs , Ms. E. Oosthuizen and Prof. K. Oosthuizen
attended the NCEE annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. The conference provided
interaction among international counterparts and with U.S. teachers, center and council
directors.
November 2005 – June 2006: 12 Department of Education officials and 3 UFS faculty
members participated in NCEE’s Training of Trainers program that consists of four oneweek seminars in various locations.
November 2005: The SG of Education, Mr. M.S. Rakometsi, observed the first seminar in the
NCEE Training of Trainers program with NCEE V.P. Dr. P. Elder and other education
officials from Egypt and Ukraine. Mr. M.S. Rakometsi supported further collaboration
between NCEE and UFS and offered support in expanding economic education programs in
other provinces.
December 2005: NCEE offers the second 3-day Training of Teachers workshop for the 80
EMS area GET teachers at UFS that participated in the first program in July 2005.
June 2006: 21 Representatives from education departments and universities from Eastern
Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, North West, and KZN observe the fourth workshop in
the Training of Trainers program. Potential partnerships between provincial education
departments and universities are explored. (All 5 observing provinces nominated participants
to the 2006-07 Train the Trainers program.)
July 2006: NCEE offers a Train the Teacher workshop for 40 economics FET teachers from
the Free State at UFS.
September 2006: Three members of the FSDoE who participated in the 2005-06 Train the
Trainers program participated in a NCEE Train the Writers program in Romania. (E.
Oosthuizen, L. Danso, and S. Motaung)
October 2006: SG of Education, Mr. M.S. Rakometsi, Ms Faith Ndaba, Mr.Suren Govender,
and Prof. K Oosthuizen, attended the NCEE annual conference in New York City. Mr.
Rakometsi is a featured speaker at the conference.
November 2006- June 2007: 31 South African participants from 6 provinces (Eastern Cape,
Free State, KZN, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape) participate in the NCEE
Training of Trainers program.
February 2007: Ms. E. Oosthuizen and Ms. P. Kolossa, represented the FS DoE on a NCEE
study tour to the US, visiting with economic educators in Mississippi and Congressional
leaders and NCEE staff in Washington, D.C.
April 2007: Training of Teachers GET Foundation Phase teaches for 40 teachers in the
Free State, partially supported by NCEE alumni project funds.
May and June 2007: Training of FET Teachers in the Free State (two groups), partially funded by
NCEE alumni project funds
May 2007: Training of GET Learning Area Managers and Provincial Coordinators, 45 participants,
Northern Cape, partially funded by NCEE Alumni project funds
May 2007: Training of FET Economics Teachers and Subject Advisors, 76 participants in
Northern Cape, partially funded by NCEE Alumni project funds.
May 2007: A delegation of Department of Education officials including: Ms. F. Nbaba; Dr.
Mbatha, KZN Chief Director of Curriculum; Dr. Ngcobo, KZN Director Teacher
Development; and Prof. K. Oosthuizen, USF investigated the NCEE economic education
infrastructure and delivery system in the US. They visited the Minnesota Council on
Economic Education, met with Congressional Leaders, and NCEE staff in Washington, D.C.
June 2007: 11 provincial education officials from Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga
observed the fourth workshop in NCEE Training of Trainer program.
June 2007: NCEE provides a Train the Teacher workshop for 45 FET teachers in KZN at the
Edgewood campus of KZN University, Durbin.
September 2007: Eight South African graduates of the Train the Trainers program participate
in NCEE’s International Train the Writers program in Romania
October 2007: SG of Education, Dr. Lubisi, Mr. Rakometsi, M. Jacobs, R. Bridgemohan, and
P. Phala attend NCEE annual conference in Denver representing the FS and KZN.
October 2007: Training of GET Foundation Phase, 20 Teachers in KZN, partially funded
by NCEE Alumni project funds
October 2007: Training of GET Intermediate Phase, 18 Teachers in KZN, partially funded
by NCEE Alumni project funds
November 2007 – June 2008: The first all-South African NCEE Train the Trainers program
commences with 53 economic educators from 6 provinces (Eastern Cape, Free State, KZN,
Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape).
December 2007: Training of GET Intermediate and Senior Phase, 164 teachers in the Free
State (two groups), partially funded by NCEE Alumni project funds.
January 2008: NCEE offers a Train the Teacher workshop for 40 GET and FET teachers in
the Western Cape in Stellenbosch.
January 2008 : Officials in the Departments of Education in Limpopo and Mpumalanga
observe the second workshop in the Train the Trainer program. Both officials plan to
nominate educators from their district for the 2008-09 Train the Trainer program.
Jan – May 2008: Prof. M. Millea, Mississippi State University, and Prof. C. Parliament,
University of Minnesota, spend their sabbaticals at UFS supporting South African economic
education research and program infrastructure.
March 2008: Eight educators from the Free State and KZN participate in study tours to meet
with economic education centers and councils in the US. Four participants will go to
Arkansas and Indiana; four will go to Colorado and Wisconsin. All eight will meet with
NCEE Vice President, Dr. P. Elder and other NCEE staff and elected Congressional officials
in Washington, D.C.
May 2008: Delegation of Department of Education officials participate in a study tour to
observe economic education programs in the US.
July 2008: Twelve US economic educators will visit the Free State and KZN during a tenday study tour, including visits with SAFEFE, PDoEs, classroom teachers, and university
representatives.