Canadian University Projects in International Development Database (CUPID)

Africa

South Africa

• Changing South African Teacher Education
• Establishing a Quality Network for Human Resources Development
• Primary Health Care for KwaZulu-Natal Women
• Distance Education in Child and Family Health
• Wood Products Processing Education

Distance Education in Child and Family Health

Project purpose:
The purpose of the project was to improve the capacities of health care workers servicing the poor, rural communities of South Africa.

Key results to date:
The project led to the development and implementation of a successful distance education MSc program in maternal and child health at the University of Cape Town, including a network of tutors. The program is delivered to doctors and senior nurses working in remote areas of South Africa. Roughly 10 percent of the students have been from countries outside South Africa. In Canada, a centre for international health has been established, the staff of which has had a book published by Cambridge University Press in 2000. A successful supervision system for students for overseas projects has been established and UBC has agreed to grant financial support for six students each year. In addition, a three-credit distance education program in international health has been started. This is the only credit course in international health given in any Canadian university.

Primary Health Care for KwaZulu-Natal Women

Project purpose:
The main purpose of this project was to increase the capacity of the KwaZulu-Natal Health Services of South Africa to develop, conduct and sustain a PHC training program based on participatory and distance-learning strategies.

Key results to date:
Full-scale collection of baseline data resulted in the production of four reports and teaching material on the physical environment of the community, demographics and the attitudes of women, nurses and TBAs. A total of 82 South African nurses were trained in PHC; they, in turn, trained 565 local women in various topics, including gender sensitivity, the political and justice systems, child development, the promotion of health and prevention of diseases, economic empowerment and care for common childhood and adult illnesses. In addition, 20 sangomas and 57 TBAs were trained. Special attention was paid to education in HIV/AIDS prevention. This also led to the development of the KwaZulu-Natal Health Promotion model. Eleven women's economic empowerment projects have been carried out and sustained. An economic advisor from the University of Natal has provided the women with advice on financial management. The project was presented at three international conferences by project-trained nurses.

Wood Products Processing Education

Project purpose:
The project purpose is to strengthen the links between the partner institutions and the private sector to facilitate the growth of South Africa's value-added wood processing industries by increasing their efficiency and ability to produce products from plantation timber that meet the expectations of national and international markets.

Key results to date:
University of Stellenbosch (SUN) and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) can now deliver a bachelor of science, national diploma and professional training programs in advance wood product manufacturing. New instructors were hired at SUN, and faculty exchanges have helped partners learn about teaching methods, meet experts and update curriculum. Nine courses on wood properties and processing were developed and can now be delivered in a classroom setting and via e-learning. Gender equality considerations were integrated into course curriculum. The revitalized program now attracts increased undergraduate enrolment of multi-racial students from across the Southern African region, as well as strong interest and support from industry, including private sector bursaries. The South African national and provincial governments provided $100,000 to create a furniture design education program. Close links have been fostered with other African universities and industry and SUN has been positioned both nationally and within Africa as a wood technology education centre of excellence. The Department of Trade & Industry is investing over $430,000 to create a Furniture Centre of Competitiveness at Stellenbosch.

Establishing a Quality Network for Human Resources Development

Project purpose:
The project aimed to assist in the improvement of the quality of human resources available in the field of education in South Africa.

Key results to date:
Human resources in education have been strengthened at UNIQWA and in the northeastern region of Free State. Three of the 18 participating master's students were junior faculty members at UNIQWA and all but one of the others were working in local education systems. Soon after the end date of the project, four of the 18 participating master's students had completed their theses and graduated. Five others had submitted theses for evaluation. Skills of other local teachers throughout the region increased as a result of participation in the project-led in-service workshops.

Changing South African Teacher Education

Project purpose:
The objective of the project is to provide opportunities for staff of the University of Fort Hare (UFH) and the Eastern Cape Education Department of South Africa to gain the knowledge and skills needed for the implementation of national and provincial policies related to the transformation of curricula, instruction and school governance. The focus is on three priority areas: language and literacy education, mathematics and science.

Key results to date:
The project played a significant role in promoting change in the educational system in the Eastern Cape province. Three faculty members from the University of Fort Hare (UFH) completed graduate programs: two at the PhD level and one in a master's program. All are actively disseminating the knowledge they gained. Personnel from the Eastern Cape Education Department, as well as teachers from the 24 districts of the Eastern Cape, benefited from in-service training workshops on education priorities in the areas of language and literacy, mathematics and science. A scientific resource developed as a guide for teachers and subject advisors will further their ability to transfer and implement inquiry-based science teaching within their districts. More than 2,500 copies of the guide were distributed. The project contributed to the professional and educational development of faculty, staff and students at UFH, and of in-service teachers and subject advisors. It also promoted the continuous growth of the institutional relationship between UFH and the provincial education department.