More encouraging news on the financial literacy legislation front, recent Colorado legislation that passed in 2008, Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids or CAP4K, is drafting new graduate requirements for preschool through 12th grade kids that include courses in personal finance.
From the linked article:
Part of the CAP4K includes the potential for five credits of financial literacy and five credits of economics to be added to its graduation requirements.
According to officials, basic financial knowledge, such as how to create a budget or balance a checkbook, is vital to surviving life after high school.
Chuck DeWayne, district director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said students already learning about finances in the district are doing fine, but noted that they can always be doing better.
With the current state of the economy, DeWayne said economics is a hot topic in many of the district’s classes.
“I think it is vitally important, especially given the economic situation today,” DeWayne said. “If kids don’t come out of school with financial literacy, they will not be ready to be functional adults.”
DeWayne added many people in today’s society, including some government officials, don’t have a good financial foundation.
What do you think? Is this a good thing for students? With education budgets being cut does it make sense to add additional requirements to the school systems? At least we will have an answer for them when they ask, “When will I ever need to know this stuff?”
