Why teach financial education in schools?

Although it is an obligation of the school institution, the education of topics such as economics and finance is still a challenge.

According to Serasa's default map, in Brazil, there are about 68,39 million people with restrictions on the CPF. When we look at the numbers and conceive this frightening reality, we cannot help but wonder if these data would be the same if there were financial education in schools.

In other words, could it be that if Brazilians were taught in the school environment how to better manage their finances, would they have so many restrictions in the name?

Most likely not. This is because, regardless of social class, financial education is a way of teaching the importance of better managing the resources we have today.

In fact, in fact, research shows that dealing well with money can lead to fewer financial problems and less stress. Therefore, the sooner this learning is included in the school routine of Brazilians, the greater the future financial and emotional gains will be.

Mandatory implementation in schools

It was expected that financial education would be implemented in schools in 2020. This is because, in the year in question, the MEC made this education mandatory.

However, we know that implementation is taking short steps. Furthermore, it is important to clarify that financial education is not adopted as a separate discipline, but rather as a a topic to be studied within the discipline of Mathematics.

In this way, elementary and high school students are expected to be immersed in content such as:

• Economy and finance;
• Interest rates;
• Inflation;
• Financial investments;
• investments;
• Taxes;
• Monetary system.

Mandatory financial education in schools still raises a very important problem: the lack of training for the pedagogical team and teachers in the world of finance. After all, how to teach students about economics and finance beyond problems involving interest and percentage, as we are so used to seeing?

The importance of financial education in the school environment

Much more than spreadsheets and numbers, it is necessary for the school to be able to provide the practice of that knowledge that, sometimes, is learned only in theory.

Thus, when financial education is adopted, at least as a cross-cutting theme, the school environment fosters the construction of more aware citizens in the management of its financial resources.

Throughout our lives, we are bombarded with false beliefs about money. Incidentally, many people from the lower classes believe that they will never be able to get rich, since they have not had financial resources since they were little.

But this is a limiting belief that the school can start to break down early on. the act of save to invest in profitable applications it is a way to increase earnings and create equity over time.

And we well know that those who start early have a great chance of reaping results faster. In addition, financial education in schools is justified by the importance of this knowledge for reducing emotional and psychological problems in adulthood.

After all, a study by the institute Money and Mental Health pointed out that financial problems are the main causes of psychological problems such as depression, stress and anxiety.

Thus, considering the school as an institution that strives for the mental health of its students, teaching financial management is a way of helping children and adolescents not to suffer from anxiety and depression for financial reasons in the future.

Economics and finance knowledge tips to teach in school

The school can be a place for teaching the importance of managing finances, teaching children the basics of financial education, such as: the importance of organizing resources; saving tips; ways to start investing; how to clear dirty name; etc.

In addition, it is even possible to teach teenagers the best types of investment both fixed income and variable income. By the way, this is a great way to teach compound interest. How about demonstrating the best strategies for saving and investing in order to reach a goal?

In fact, an interdisciplinary knowledge in which Mathematics and History converse to explain the history of inflation in Brazil and how inflation impacts investments in practice can make this learning experience even more interesting.

Math worksheets can be automated in classes or computer labs to build a monthly budget. Here students can better visualize their expenses and financial resources and even customize their worksheets. Also, this is a good way to have access to knowledge of Excel.

Another point that can reach the classroom is the teaching of best strategies to save in the market, the light bill, the water bill and so on. Knowledge that students can share with family members.

Anyway, there are vast ways of teaching and, although the implementation of financial education in schools is not as easy as we think, this is a step that we need to take if we want to train more critical and financially independent citizens.

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