Democracy means new freedoms for five South African teachers, who came to Ohio State to learn about teaching in a democratic society.

The Mershon Center is sponsoring Building Civil Society Through Education, a collaborative program between five South African teachers and five Columbus teachers.

“This program helps build civic education and curriculums in South Africa,” said Sharon Subreenduth, project coordinator for the Civic Education Program. “What this project is trying to do is build into existing programs in South Africa (the) concepts of civic society like citizenship, democracy and political learning.”

Subreenduth said South African teachers will also learn how to address issues in their schools such as inequity, diversity, injustice and how to be a responsible citizen in a democratic society.

“South Africa is just out of the apartheid era and trying to develop a more democratic teaching and learning environment. There is a total transformation of curriculum to a more democratic one. While we (South Africa) live in a democratic society we don’t have civic education like here,” Subreenduth said.

Gugu Madlala, who teaches seventh, eighth and ninth grade students from Rosetta, South Africa, said she will address the problems of teenage pregnancy.

“Teenage pregnancy is a big problem in South Africa because girls are getting pregnant at 13-years-old and then stop going to school,” Madlala said. “Parents are afraid to talk to their teenagers about sex.”

Madlala said she is going to work in classrooms and give students case studies about life as a pregnant teenager.

“I am going to help because I am going to open their eyes. They all think it isn’t going to happen to them and it does,” Madlala said. “I am going to provide students posters and information about sex and pregnancy.”

The South African teachers will go to Columbus schools to observe, teach and engage students in different issues and projects.

“The South African and American teachers are learning how to find potential leadership in schools and develop social action projects,” Subreenduth said. “These projects will help young children engage in social, racial and political issues.”

Thembile Maling, a biology and general science teacher from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa said her project will focus on illiteracy.

“I want my students to learn about the illiteracy problem in their community and know how to get involved,” Maling said. “I hope the students will be able to develop a reading program where they work and read with members of their community.”

Jamie Lower, a social studies teacher from Barrett Middle School in Columbus, said she will be working with Maling.

“The South African teachers have been in the classroom three times so far just to observe,” she said. “They will teach my students about ancient civilization and help them develop packets for battered women shelters.”

Lower said she became interested in the project because of the cultural experience of working with South African teachers and implementing their ideas in the school system.

Subreenduth said there are two other components to this project besides the civic education and social action projects in Columbus.

“After the six weeks are over, the South African teachers are going to develop their social action project further and relate it to the curriculum in South Africa between January and May of next year,” Subreenduth said.

The Columbus teachers will go to South Africa to showcase their projects at a conference in July.

The Building Society Through Education Program began this year and received $130,000 from the U.S. Department of State. The Civic Education Program collaborated the project to meet the needs of the changing educational society in South Africa, Subreenduth said.

The South African teachers will be staying at Ohio State through Dec. 7.