Financial literacy for schoolchildren: programme launches

Beginning from 1 September 2018, nursery schools will be able to use the educational programme ‘Economic Awareness for Preschoolers: Enabling Prerequisites for Financial Literacy’. The programme is a product of joints efforts by the Bank of Russia and the Ministry of Education.

‘It is better to begin to acquire financial literacy skills before school, given that today's kids deal with the world of finance, one way or another’, emphasises Mikhail Mamuta, Head of the Bank of Russia's Service for Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion. ‘The programme for preschoolers is a natural addition to financial literacy courses that schools and universities are successfully implementing. The training process is easily converted into a game little kids can easily understand. The programme comes with all the necessary methodologies and training materials.’

The programme, targeting schoolchildren aged 5-7, expands on key financial and economic terms: labour and commodity, money and price, and such ethical concepts as integrity, generosity, thrift and hard work.

Preschoolers will gain an insight into the importance of labour and the world of occupations, trade and family finance, income and expenditure, Russia’s and other countries’ money. As a separate module, the programme covers advertising, with the purpose of developing in kids objective assessment skills so they can differentiate between their real needs and those that may be pressed on them.

The programme also seeks to help the little ones develop useful economic skills and habits from a young age. This includes, among other things, the habit to take care of their own and other people’s things, maintain order and save energy and water.

The programme comprises theoretical materials and textbooks, as well as model games and competitions, kids’ fairy-tales, proverbs and sayings on each subject. These recommendations will help teachers develop their classes independently.

Bank of Russia employees have pilot-tested at schools, nursery schools and at Open Days across the country many of the programme formats, some games and competitions, e.g. the one about the adventures of the coin.

For more details, please visit this website.