Financial awareness for young people ties in with the government’s current ‘Every Child Matters’ programme. It is an initiative aimed at ensuring all children from birth to the age of 19, irrespective of their background or circumstance, receive the support to be able to be healthy, safe, achieve their goals and make a positive contribution to society. There is also a fifth directive within this framework which is that children should be given the tools that will enable them to ‘Achieve economic well-being’, which is where there is a direct link to basic financial education. Some of the agenda created in these five outcomes became statutory in the Children Act 2004.

This task falls not only to schools but also to the various organisations that come into contact with children including the police, voluntary groups and social services. The role of schools is vital, not only in the specific lessons they provide that will further this aim, but also in their liaisons with these other services. Of cours,e for this scheme to be successful the children themselves need to be a part of the process; their reactions, thoughts and views will help maximise the input of all parties involved.

Access to the curriculum at primary level will primarily be through PSHE, Drama, Maths and Information Communication Technology, though the more creative teacher or indeed the school that allows a more flexible approach to the subject matter to allow cross curricular links to develop. In reality ,teachers will probably be more responsive to smaller containable activities due to the great strain on time to complete the existing workload.

PSHE activities would cover the ethical, moral and emotional responses to financial issues through storytelling, role-play activities and debates. Drama activities, especially for younger children, class surveys and assemblies could be used to spread this awareness through the school. For example, the school could have a bank that is run by the older children linked to the cake sales and summer fairs, so that money could become a more regular part of their lives at younger age.

Mathematics activities would probably centre on the Using and Application of Mathematics, Calculation and Handling Data strands. ICT would also support this in the use of spreadsheets and of course the research using the internet and various supportive websites.

From GCSE level onwards, children are taught Key Skills. Key skills are the skills that you need in order to operate confidently and successfully in school, college, university, work, training, and life in general.

• Communication
• Application of Number
• Information and Communication Technology.
• Working with Others
• Improving own Learning and Performance
• Problem Solving.