The Fiji Financial Education Curriculum Development (FinED Fiji) Project, involves the integration and strengthening of financial education within the school curriculum over a two year period.  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. 

This groundbreaking initiative 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. The FinED Fiji Project’s first professional development workshop for primary regional champion teachers is being held at the UNDP Pacific Centre in Suva this week from the 14^th -17^th June 2011. 

The Workshop, the first of many, brought together thirteen primary school teachers who teach classes 3 and 4, from three school districts in Fiji, the Deputy Secretary Professional of the Ministry of Education, curriculum advisory officers of the Ministry and Project personnel.   

During the Workshop, the teachers were exposed to financial education and the Project, financial education learning outcomes, methods of integrating the management of money and investing within Class 3 with extension to Class 4.  Most importantly, they were trained in the use of financial education student resources and teaching and assessment materials.   

Regional champion teachers are the pioneer teachers who, together with the Divisional Offices, will be actively involved in facilitating training and financial education professional development in their school districts. 

They have the exciting role of being actively involved in integrating financial education within the curriculum as well as being the first to teach financial education within their schools at Class 3. 

Ms. Mereia Turuva of Holy Family Primary School, Labasa was very grateful, “this workshop is timely and it will benefit these children at early stages of their lives. Once they develop these financial skills it will be lifelong and will benefit the children and the nation as a whole.’’  Ms. Shaleni Rai-Tauniu of Yat Sen Primary School, Suva, echoed the same sentiments, “this has been a great opportunity for me, this workshop will help me be a better teacher and mother - I will be more financially capable and financially equipped to make wise choices.” 

The following primary schools and teachers are the financial education regional champions at the primary level. 

The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) is a Pacific-wide programme helping to provide sustainable financial services to low income households. It is funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and operates from the UNDP Pacific Centre.