Financial Literacy Essay

1385 Words3 Pages

High school seniors takes deep breaths and parade onto the stage. The beginning of a new chapter awaits as they make the journey from one point of the stage to the end. They reflect on what they have been taught in those many years of high school. The most terrifying fact while graduating high school is the next step: making it on their own. Because they have taken part in the appropriate classes, the students are certain that they have gained the correct knowledge to begin making their mark on the world. In high school, it is crucial to achieve the appropriate classes in order to feel ready to take on the world ahead as an adult. However, many students lack proper education. One key example is financial literacy. Financial literacy is the …show more content…

One way our school could accomplish the goal of financial literacy education is creating a set class for high school students towards the end of their high school career. Offering classes in a curriculum that is set helps kids become better prepared for the real world. They receive a better understanding of what it is like having a great deal of responsibility, without the overwhelming of stress that comes with it since the class would be set in a classroom. According to the article written by Laura Langemo from Fox6 entitled “MPS Eighth-Graders Get a Lesson in Financial Literacy”, the Milwaukee Public School District Superintendent Gregory Thornton states, “We need [students] to be ready financially. We need them to be ready to step into the world and be able to actually navigate and manage money.” Students should feel confident after graduating that they will be capable of receiving such a great sense of responsibility. Teaching students about financial literacy at an older age throughout high school will allow them to be ready for their lives ahead. According to this article, many of the students were surprised with how bills amass in such a rapid pace. Similarly, the article from the Sandpiper by Edie Ellison includes information about being able to offer high school students classes in …show more content…

Many parents feel that their kids are not ready to be faced with such a stressful responsibility, so why should they have to experience this before they have to? Parents do not want their kids to be taught these courses too soon. The article entitled “Is It a Mistake to Try to Teach Financial Literacy in High School?” by Hank Coleman from Daily Finance states, “Classes in budgeting, credit cards, compound interest and other basic personal finance skills can help prepare our children for adulthood. The problem stems from overzealous mandates. Our children -- and far too often, our teachers -- [are not] in a position to handle more than a cursory examination of financial topics.” This article not only covers the idea that students may not be ready for this serious topic, but teachers may not be prepared to teach these topics for a younger audience. Although these are valid points, there is never an appropriate time to start incorporating financial education without some stress. Students need to be to be able to welcome financial responsibility after graduating. It is unattainable, however, to set a specific point in a student’s life where learning this topic will not cause some amount of stress. People who believe that teaching these topics at a younger age will cause unnecessary

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