When I was 10, my friend blew half his birthday money on a shiny sword in some mobile game, after begging his parents to let him do it for months. The sword turned out to be useless. He felt ripped off, and we both learned the hard way that “limited-time offers” aren’t always worth it.
Turns out, England’s new curriculum is basically trying to make sure kids don’t have to learn those lessons the hard way. Schools there are rolling out 80 new financial literacy lessons for ages 5 to 16. It’s everything from “how to tell a want from a need” to “spotting influencer scams” to “what crypto actually is.” By the time you’re 15, they even teach you about inflation and how to read actual financial documents.
Why I Think This is Cool
- It’s not just about money, it’s about freedom. If you know how to manage your own cash and avoid traps, no one can easily manipulate you.
- It feels personal. Social media ads, game purchases, influencer hype, it’s all part of our daily lives. No one’s immune.
- This curriculum is something I believe even my community needs, not just England. I haven’t been systemically introduced to financial literacy, and it was something I had to take the initiative to learn about. However, everyone needs to know it. This program has the same intention as my personal finance literacy website, but learning is made mandatory.
- It’s policy that starts where we are, not where adults think we are. It doesn’t talk down to you. It hands you the tools.
What-if…
If we learned these things in school (before our first part-time job, first credit card, or first online shopping spree) how many regrets could we dodge? And maybe, just maybe, would more of us grow up able to build systems and policies that protect everyone, not just the people who already have the tools?
Sources:
https://www.ft.com/content/c960d291-81aa-4975-bec5-dc20fc9dced3?utm_source=chatgpt.com
