Anne Marie Morris MP spoke in the House of Commons today to call for financial education to become part of the national school curriculum.
Financial education in schools would teach young people about every day finance management such as using credit cards, opening bank accounts and bank charges. Anne Marie believes that such education forms a vital part of being able to cope with the challenges of everyday life for our young people as they develop into adulthood as responsible citizens.
Anne Marie is a founding member of the APPG on Financial Education for Young People. The group is working to consider these issues and what we can do to ensure young people have the knowledge and the skill to act in responsible way so that they can manage a financially sustainable future for themselves and ultimately for their families.
Anne Marie asked:
Does the Minister agree that making financial education a formal part of the national curriculum should ensure not only that every child leaves school with a basic understanding of personal finance but that those who seek to start their own businesses are better equipped with the skills that they need to succeed?
Elizabeth Truss MP, Minister for Education answered:
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. We have improved financial education in maths through the better study of interest rates, loans and mortgages. We have also included the subject in citizenship classes and, furthermore, we are participating in the PISA —the programme for international student assessment— comparison between different countries on financial literacy. We can therefore compare the capabilities of our 15-year-olds with those in other countries.