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The skill every child should be forced to learn

Robert Powell
by Lovemoney Staff Robert Powell on 08 September 2011  |  Comments 29 comments

Robert Powell reports on a new campaign to introduce compulsory financial education into schools...

Sign the government e-petition to make financial education a compulsory part of the school curriculum.

Get free debt advice from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service.

Find out more about the charity Family Action.

What do you think?

Should financial education be made a compulsory part of the school curriculum?

Have your say using the comment box below.

More: Teens should be forced to learn the value of money | OFT cracks down on debt management sharks | Why men are useless with debt

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Comments (29)

  • rat
    Love rating 2
    rat said

    I think there are a few too many blinkers in use.

    Basic Literacy and Numeracy are essential, no one is going to disagree with that notion. AndrewFSmith's petition shouldn't be necessary but unfortunately it would appear that it is.

    Financial education is increasingly necessary because our society no longer runs on cash. Most people HAVE to borrow in order to study at university or buy a house or get a deposit in order to rent somewhere to live or buy a car in order to get a job... etc etc etc.

    You can include the fundamentals of engineering in english or maths in PE etc if educators are prepared to make the effort to structure coursework to do so. There is no good reason why pupils shouldn't be up to scratch in the basics and financially aware if their educators are willing to teach them these things and they are willing to learn.

    BUT you can't expect people who don't understand the basics to teach others and you can't expect those who aren't interested to want to learn unless the teacher and the lesson planning are inspired enough to catch their interest.

    Report on 15 September 2011  |  Love thisLove  2 loves
  • g1ng3rcat
    Love rating 5
    g1ng3rcat said

    I can think of another reason why parents may not be best placed to teach financial life-skills. Put simply, things change.

    Anyone in their 20s who bases their plans on how their parents lived 30 years ago (no student loans, only a small deposit needed to buy a house with an affordable, easy-to-get mortgage etc) is in for a shock.

    Likewise, most people in the future will never get onto the so-called property ladder, so can forget that outdated 1980s aspiration too.

    Perhaps instead future generations should be taught to concentrate on saving for retirement from the minute they leave school instead...

    Report on 15 September 2011  |  Love thisLove  2 loves

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