The school is an important social institution that helps students adapt to the conditions of adulthood. Modern children, while still in school, actively operate with money, buy goods and use bank cards, being participants in trade relations. This requires them to own a certain level of financial literacy.
Program development
Financial literacy courses are included in the school curriculum within the framework of the subject "Social Studies". The introduction of teaching children financial literacy as a separate discipline is still impractical because of the amount of information and its specificity: some of the information is relevant for primary school children, some will be useful for students in grades 6-7, something should be paid attention to in the 8th class when the study of economic systems. More details about financial literacy are in the 10-11th grade.
On September 1, 2016, financial literacy classes started in Russian schools. The first to include them in their program were Altai, Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories, Saratov, Kaliningrad, Tomsk Regions, and Tatarstan. In 2018, training is carried out in 72 regions of the country.
The need to introduce new subjects does not mean that the boundaries of traditional education are blurring. It is rather an attempt to diversify the forms and content of training. So, for example, the anti-corruption worldview formation course was previously introduced, and a financial literacy training program has now been added. In the near future, it is planned to launch legal and digital literacy courses.
Project objectives
The line of financial literacy is highlighted as a separate component of school education to prepare the child not only for the future life, but also for the present life. The objectives of the financial literacy training project are:
- Bridging the gap between the theoretical system of education in school and real life, the possibility of practical application of their knowledge.
- The acquisition of skills that can be used in conditions of commodity-money relations.
- The flip side of financial literacy is the ability to control your emotions and body.
- Opening the possibility of interpersonal and information-technical communication for full participation in society.
- Reducing the risk of exclusion of a person from public life.
- Creating the ability to quickly respond to economic changes to maintain their well-being.
The work of educators
For the successful implementation of financial literacy education in schools, two key issues need to be addressed:
- providing and preparing the necessary information materials;
- training teachers to learn a new discipline.
The problem of providing quality teaching materials, taking into account the age characteristics of students, has been successfully resolved to date. To compile them, experts from the banking sector, university professors, financiers, employees of the education department and other competent participants were involved.
As for the second point, the training of teachers of financial literacy was carried out at special refresher courses, where they got the opportunity to get acquainted with the basics of financial and economic relations in society. What was contained in the training plan:
- the concept of investment, securities, credit;
- Bank operations;
- types of fraud and methods of protection;
- creating your own business.
As a rule, such a program is designed for 72 academic hours. By 2018, 19 thousand teachers who have the right to conduct financial literacy education at school have been trained in established federal training centers.
Program content
The world practice of introducing financial literacy education in schools shows an excellent result. What should the child learn during the classes:
- national currency and its history;
- foreign, collective types of currencies;
- operations with money;
- family budget and its planning;
- protection from fraudsters;
- organization and optimization of the family budget;
- long-term financial management;
- financial institutions and interaction with them;
- savings, loans, taxes, pensions, insurance;
- legal aspects of the relationship between management and employees, employment and career growth;
- cash rewards;
- organization of private enterprise;
- personal finance management, taking into account the development of the economy.
Educational program for preschoolers
Education for financial literacy of preschool children in kindergartens is practically not carried out today. The main burden lies with the parents: they explain to the child that what he wants is bought with money that must be obtained at work before.
At the age of 4-7 years, a concept should be formed that a sufficient amount of financial resources opens up great opportunities, gives joy. At this stage, the norms of behavior in the store, transport (fare payment) and so on in the form of role-playing games are explained.
Elementary classes
In elementary school, children begin to take their first steps into adulthood. In order not to get confused and make fewer mistakes, the child needs to be familiar with the basics of financial literacy, learn to count and understand why there is money. Introduction to the discipline begins with the 2nd grade, the course is designed:
- 8 hours in the 2nd grade;
- 8 hours in the 3rd grade;
- 16 hours in 4th grade.
During this period, children get acquainted with the concept of money, their history, types and functions performed, as well as determining the family budget. Familiarization takes place in the lessons of mathematics and the world.
Middle and high school
Primarily focused on schoolchildren in grades 5-11 are financial literacy education. Children of this age already have basic knowledge about money, financial institutions, commodity-money relations. They are already consumers, begin to master financial products and tools, use information resources (Internet, smartphone applications).
The purpose of the training is to create a direct connection between acquired knowledge and their application in life. In the lessons, the guys in the interactive format of situational modeling and role-playing games learn to evaluate and make informed decisions. In this form, adolescents more easily acquire knowledge about financial markets, products and services, build an adequate perception of risks in this area.
Methodology
For elementary school students, training takes place in a more understandable game form, taking into account age-specific features:
During the training, skills are formed to work with tables and diagrams, analysis of performances.
The methodology of teaching financial literacy for middle-aged and older students is reduced to the following methods:
- Familiarization with the material takes place in the form of lectures, discussions. The text should be stylistically adapted taking into account the age category.
- Use of information and distribution materials: booklets, posters, brochures, cards.
- The use of television and multimedia tools, projectors.
- Conducting games, competitions, tests, contests, open lessons, olympiads.
- Analysis of specific situations in the economic field and the search for a way out of them.
Applied Aspects
The effectiveness of a financial literacy training program can be tracked by increasing interest in participating in various events, contests, forums, contests, exhibitions, and online competitions, for example:
- regional and city competitions "The best entrepreneurial project among students";
- All-Russian contest “Financial Battle”;
- scientific and practical conferences;
- competition "Pupils for the promotion of global entrepreneurship";
- competition of design works “Horizons of discoveries”;
- festival "Northern Constellation" and others.
Learning outcomes
After taking a financial literacy course and successfully mastering it at school, students for applied use must:
- understand and correctly use economic terms;
- have an idea of the role of monetary resources in the family and society;
- be able to interpret the types and functions of cash;
- Know the sources of income and the direction of expenses of your family;
- be able to calculate and make a family budget;
- identify problems and vulnerabilities in family finances, know the ways to solve them;
- make simple financial calculations.
Invaluable parental participation in solving such issues: how to spend pocket money, how to save up for the right thing, how to get a quality, but inexpensive thing and so on. With the joint work of parents and teachers, the knowledge gained from children will help reduce stress in the consumer sector, increase financial literacy so that there are no monetary problems in adulthood and a person can feel more confident.