Financial Literacy

Financial Literacy is an area of learning that many teachers don’t like to do. My assumption would be because it isn’t stipulated in the NZC, however, if you look carefully at the Number Strand, there are many concepts that relate to finances.

Previously I had carried out a unit with a group of Year 8 students around family budgeting. I remember doing this as a student myself so I tried to re-invent that experience. Basically, before I could deliver the unit, I had to save up receipts of my own to be used in the classroom, set up templates of bills, income, etc. Anything to do with life was included - family expenses, mortgage or rent, groceries, school holidays, birthdays, car breakdowns, car WOF and Rego, school fees and uniform, childcare - you name it it was there. This was a fun and creative unit which I have revisited with year 5-8 students. This is a great unit to integrate with Social Sciences – looking into careers and our place in the world.

2021

Banqer was introduced to me via education advertising. It is a great resource to use for free and is supported by the Kiwi Bank. It allows students to have bank accounts (make believe of course), earn money, pay money out, and learn about all aspects of finances - savings, term deposits, automatic payments, loans, credit, debt, Kiwi Saver, employment, property, and transport.

This is a good hands on program that doesn't take too long to deliver each day and it has a support network.

2022

During this past year we have looked into most aspects of Banqer but added in our classroom duties as jobs. Students had to apply for particular jobs and got paid a certain amount agreed on for carrying out the job. If they were absent they didn't get paid. If someone else had to do their job, that person got the money. We also looked further into transport where students were able to purchase bikes or cars and sell them at a loss thanks to depreciation. We used class members birthdays as a way of having to pay out money as well as a couple of small projects. I also ran a small competition where one student won a gift voucher. This student was the student who had the most Cash Assests at the end of the year and who showed wise decision making when making purchases or paying bills. All students had a chance to win.