What if any would you take off the curriculum ? To teach attitudes regarding money, good debt and bad dept?

Comment by Melissa Jade Totman on December 29, 2012 at 6:29am

I definately agree that PSHE classes should be used to discuss issues such as money and what opportunities are out there after school. At school our PSHE lessons consisted of doing nothing. The only beneficial task I remember was when they helped us to fill out a job application form and then we had to take part in a mock interview. Someone professional came in, which made the class take it more seriously. I think more tasks like this should be used in PSHE. I think there should be more help on writing CV's etc as well. They should also be taught about how to budget and told about the cost of living. 

Comment by Emma Breen on December 29, 2012 at 8:21am

Hi Anita,
I totally agree that where it isn't already, this subject NEEDS to be put in place in schools and colleges. I think that it would best slot into maths at secondary level or perhaps small group tutorials but become subject based at post 16.
At college I studied performing arts and we had a lesson called PAB, performing arts business. It was here that I learnt how to budget, creating spreadsheets, tables and charts, which in school I really struggled. We also learnt to write a business report and C.V. All of which was based around the arts subject.
Even a short time spent on the subject could really benefit learners and give them the inspiration to take charge of their finances and not avoid the subject.

Comment by Theresa Young on December 29, 2012 at 12:21pm

Hi Anita

I think teaching financial numeracy is so very important. After all, what is the use of students knowing how to work out a complex algebraic problem and not know how to budget and balance their own finances? More emphasis should be on placed developing these life skills at school. These skills are taught in the post 16 sector as part of functional skills.

Theresa

Comment by Anita bell on December 30, 2012 at 10:23am

Thank you for all the comments, I agree that these are Life Skills but do not see any evidence of being in practice within education. First a lot of students are not really sure of what opportunities are out there and feel this would help for a career direction. But the sad thing I do see is they think as an Art student they will be found and thus make it. It does not normally happen this way, they need to understand they need to make this happen. Through good money management they could set themselves up from some of their student loans or use some of this capital to do work experience targeted at a high profile company. Many student's from the USA come to England to do this in the City of London. Why are students not being encouraged to think Globally and invest in themselves just as they did by setting out in education?

Comment by Ann Guilder on December 30, 2012 at 3:05pm

I think that all students need to learn Life Skills; budgeting is very important, learning how to access services within the community, where and how to find jobs, writing CVs, career paths, even very basic DIY, basic motor mechanic skills (how to change a tyre etc) and basic first aid. Teaching should be relevant and useful.

Comment by Anita bell on December 30, 2012 at 3:47pm

Relevant and useful are key I think, alongside independency like change a tyre LOL, can do this just like I bet you can too ? How to find out about funding is of great value, it is out there but many do not know about it finically within a business sense.

Comment by Keeley Knowles on January 3, 2013 at 6:08am

Hello,

Telling the truth and illuminating the realities of our financial system and how to navigate it successfully in the outside world should form a fundamental part of a just, inclusive education system.  If it were, individuals would be better equipped to cope beyond the walls of educational establishments and would be able to draw informed conclusions about the financial policies of the political parties available to elect. However, and I am about to play devil's advocate now, from a Marxist point of view some would argue that our education system ultimately has one aim: it is geared to supplying the next army of docile workers, exploited 'wage labourers' who would become dangerous and rebellious if they were aware of the intricacies of a capitalist economy and their roles as pawns in it. I would suggest it is no accident that educating the population en masse about real life financial issues is omitted from the curriculum.  Were we fully aware of the extent of exploitation, the compression of time and space (re debt) and so on we might collectively awake from Marx's state of 'false consciousness' and say 'No!'  Our education system encourages us to obey, to work hard and excel at hand-picked subjects and consume with little or no guidance on the principles of the banking system, the ramifications of spending beyond our means and so on.  The operations of Gramsci's 'hegemony' is interesting in explaining how 'they' get away with it.

Comment by Samuel Kidby on January 3, 2013 at 6:49am

Keeley, I agree that the old Victorian way of school to fuel the workforce and control the masses is how it used to be run and that a lot of the characteristics are still the same, however i feel this way is really coming to an end, more and more people are now becoming educated than ever before and realising their potential, because of this people are starting want more for themselves. This may well result in an 'educational revolution' where policies are put in place for the masses instead, if so will the economy be able to cope with such a change, even communist states have come to the realisation that Marxist theory in an ideal world is great but in reality is this so?

Comment by Keeley Knowles on January 3, 2013 at 8:04am

Hello Sam,

I agree, many do now now have access to education but I don't believe the educational ideology in which they are immersed has really changed that much since industrialisation. It seems very convenient to me that our education system still fails to inform its citizens about money matters that affect us all.  I'm not advocating commmunism, just the truth.

Comment by Anita bell on January 3, 2013 at 2:34pm

I feel the same, in that yes the system fails on giving constructive education about money. This did not matter so much some years ago as many citizens knew they would get a job after completion of education because we did have an industry. Now there are not many opportunities available I think it has to change and give people the tools to promote all the options and opportunities, but to also encourage students to consider working outside of the present system, and the way in which "it" imposes limitations upon workers.

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