School is the most important social institution that helps students adapt to the conditions of adult life. Modern children, while still at school, actively operate with money, buy goods and use bank cards, being participants in trade relations. This requires them to have a certain level of financial literacy.
Program development
Financial literacy courses are included in the school curriculum as part of the Social Studies subject. The introduction of teaching financial literacy to children as a separate discipline is not yet appropriate due to the amount of information and its specifics: 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 grade class when studying economic systems. It is worth talking in more detail about financial literacy in grades 10-11.
From September 1, 2016, Russian schools startedfinancial literacy classes. The Altai, Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories, Saratov, Kaliningrad, Tomsk Regions, and Tatarstan were the first to include them in their program. In 2018, training is already being carried out in 72 regions of the country.
The need to introduce new subjects does not mean that the boundaries of traditional education are blurred. It is rather an attempt to diversify the forms and content of education. For example, a course on the formation of an anti-corruption worldview was introduced earlier, and now a financial literacy training program has been added. Legal and digital literacy courses are planned to be launched soon.
Project Objectives
The line of financial literacy is singled out 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 project are:
- Reduce the gap between the theoretical system of education in school and real life, the possibility of practical application of their knowledge.
- Acquisition of skills that can be used in the conditions of commodity-money relations.
- The other side of financial literacy is the ability to manage your emotions and body.
- Opening the possibility of interpersonal and information technology communication for full participation in society.
- Reducing the risk of exclusion from public life.
- Creating a skill to quickly respond to economic changes to maintain your well-being.
The work of teachers
Successful implementation of financial literacy education in schools requires addressing two key issues:
- provision and preparation of necessary information materials;
- training teachers to teach a new discipline.
The problem of providing high-quality teaching materials, taking into account the age characteristics of students, has been successfully resolved today. To compile them, specialists 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 financial literacy teachers was carried out at special advanced training courses, where they got the opportunity to get acquainted with the basics of financial and economic relations in society. What was included in the training plan:
- the concept of investment, securities, credit;
- banking operations;
- types of fraud and protection methods;
- creating your own business.
As a rule, such a program is designed for 72 academic hours. As of 2018, 19,000 teachers have been trained at established federal training centers and qualified to provide financial literacy education in schools.
Program content
World practice of introducing financial literacy education in schools shows excellent results. What the child should learn during the lessons:
- national currency and its history;
- foreign, collective speciescurrencies;
- money transactions;
- family budget and planning;
- fraud protection;
- 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;
- private enterprise organization;
- management of personal finances, taking into account the development of the economy.
Developing program for preschoolers
Training of financial literacy of preschoolers in kindergartens today is practically not carried out. The main burden lies with the parents: they explain to the child that what he wants is bought with money that must first be received at work.
At the age of 4-7, 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) and so on are explained in the form of role-playing games.
Initial 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 what money is for. Introduction todiscipline starts from the 2nd grade, the course is calculated:
- 8 hours in 2nd grade;
- 8 hours in 3rd grade;
- 16 hours in 4th grade.
During this period, children get acquainted with the concept of money, its history, types and functions, as well as the definition of the family budget. Familiarization takes place in the lessons of mathematics and the world around.
Middle and high school
Financial literacy training is primarily focused on schoolchildren in grades 5-11. Children of this age already have basic knowledge about money, financial institutions, commodity-money relations. They are already consumers, they are beginning to master financial products and tools, use information resources (Internet, smartphone applications).
The goal of learning is to create a direct connection between the acquired knowledge and its application in life. In the lessons, children learn to evaluate and make informed decisions in an interactive format of situational modeling and role-playing games. In this form, teenagers more easily acquire knowledge about financial markets, products and services, build an adequate perception of risks in this area.
Methodology
For elementary school students, learning takes place in a more understandable game form, taking into account age characteristics:
- games;
- research;
- projects.
During the training, skills of working with tables and diagrams, analysis of speeches are formed.
Teaching methodologyfinancial literacy for middle and high school students comes down to the following ways:
- Familiarization with the material takes place in the form of lectures, conversations. The text should be stylistically adapted to the age category.
- Use of promotional materials: booklets, posters, brochures, cards.
- The use of television and multimedia equipment, projectors.
- Conducting games, competitions, tests, competitions, 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 the financial literacy training program can be tracked by increasing interest in participating in various events, competitions, forums, olympiads, exhibitions, online competitions, for example:
- regional and city competitions "The best entrepreneurial project among young students";
- All-Russian competition "Financial Battle";
- scientific and practical conferences;
- competition "School students for the promotion of global entrepreneurship";
- discovery horizons design competition;
- Northern Constellation Festival and others.
Learning Outcomes
After completing a financial literacy course and successfully mastering it at school, students for applied application should:
- understand and use economic terms correctly;
- be aware of the role of financial resources in the family and society;
- be able to interpret types and functionscash;
- know your family's sources of income and expenses;
- be able to calculate and draw up a family budget;
- identify problems and vulnerabilities in family finances, know how to solve them;
- make simple financial calculations.
Parental participation is invaluable in solving such issues: how to spend pocket money, how to save up for the right thing, how to buy a high-quality, but inexpensive thing, and so on. With the joint work of parents and teachers, the knowledge gained from children will help reduce tension in the consumer sector, improve financial literacy, so that in adulthood there are no money problems and a person can feel more confident.
