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Money lessons on the cards for schoolchildren |
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Monday, 21 January 2008 |
Pupils are to be taught skills in money management as part of the Curriculum for Excellence in schools.
Maureen Watt, Minister for Schools and Skills, said: "A key aim of
Curriculum for Excellence is to produce responsible citizens of the
future. Numeracy is a key life skill and our children need to be
confident and competent in using numbers in practical situations.
"Many adults today are having to deal with financial problems - even
simply from the excesses of the festive period - and by ensuring all
children receive these core messages at school, we want to equip them
with the ability to avoid these pitfalls in their financial future.
"This new kind of 'home economics' will pay dividends on a larger scale
when these pupils enter the world of work and apply their financial
skills to business."
Teachers will focus on how to prepare children to be confident
consumers of the future and avoid the debt trap. Pupils will be taught
how to manage budgets and also understand that they may not always be
able to afford things they want.
They should be able to identify various methods of payment but be aware
of the benefits and risks of each, such as rocketing interest rates,
manage finances in a responsible way and learn how to apply this to
business.
The guidelines come after a UK survey by the Association of Investment
Companies revealed last week that more than half of parents surveyed
believe their own financial position would be healthier if they had
been taught personal finance at school. Ninety-three per cent of
teachers and parents thought personal finance should be taught in
schools.
Guidance on teaching financial skills forms part of the social studies
"draft outcomes" which are published today, along with expressive arts,
as part of the Government's plans to embed the Curriculum for
Excellence, a more holistic approach to education for children aged
three to 18.
Draft guidance is already under discussion with teachers on promoting
numeracy across the curriculum, which will also help pupils learn how
to manage money and plan their finances.
Watt said: "The draft outcomes for our new curriculum are intended to
help teachers make teaching more relevant, exciting and engaging.
Social studies and expressive arts are important areas of the whole
learning process and we are keen to receive feedback on the outcomes
from professionals who will be working towards this transformation
across Scottish education.
"It is vitally important that teachers read and react to these outcomes
and think about how they can use this guidance to make their teaching
as good as it can be."
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