Editor:
Re: Money skills should be part of school curriculum, letter to the editor, Jan. 23
Financial literacy is a strong, and mandatory, component of the school curriculum at both the elementary and secondary levels in the Delta school district.
It is embedded throughout the elementary and secondary math curriculum and is a core unit of the Planning 10 course.
Delta teachers have found engaging ways to teach kids about the curriculum-required units around budgeting and financial literacy in their classes. For example, in Ms. Gillis' Grade 7 class at Cliff Drive Elementary, students are paid a "salary" and receive bonuses for completed work while keeping a budget as they have to "pay bills" at the end of each week. These "bills" are to model paying a mortgage or rent, paying for heat and light, as well as equipment rental.
The children form family groups and the groups support and help each other with the budgeting process. At the end of the month, Ms. Gillis' class holds an auction to spend their earnings.
At Delta Secondary, the Grade 10 classes will begin the budget and finance unit (a requirement for all students) around mid-February. The unit topics include: 1. Lifestyle Reality Check is where students will pick or receive a "career" and a "monthly income" based on that career. They will create a monthly budget where they will decide what portion of their pay goes to what cost. Also covered within this unit is the difference between a "need" and a "want," and which gets priority in the budgeting process.
2. Responsibilities of having a credit card, line of credit, loan, mortgage, etc., which includes students learning about interest rates, making monthly payments, minimum payments, etc..
3. A number of financial planning guest speakers coming in to talk to the students.
4. Students participating in a "grocery store field trip" where they go to one of the local grocery stores, are given a weekly budget for groceries, and will have to "shop," meal plan and keep within their budget.
5. Stock market and investing, time permitting, involves discussions about how the stock market works, risk and return on investment.
There are also senior elective courses in Grade 12 for students who wish to learn about economics and accounting.
With these efforts, we hope students will come away with stronger financial management skills they will carry forward into adulthood.
Dianne Turner
Superintendent of Schools Delta School District
