Finances in School
Everyday debt lurks around the corner waiting to grab another victim who possesses minimal knowledge pertaining to finances. By allowing a mass of the population to continue through their lives without being taught of the ways of the financial world, the world is not only crippling the victim but also themselves with a plague of ill advised financial decisions, which only leads to more debt and ultimately harder times in America.
The task for America to teach the youth financial skills is at hand, and must be addressed promptly if America is to ever return to its former glory. A solution to this crisis is the creation of mandatory finance classes in high school, or mandatory integration of financial subjects within a relating subject. Too many young adults are embarking on their life journeys after high school without any real financial skills or knowledge, and as a result find themselves gasping for air from the tight grips of debt. In an article by Christine Armario, part of the associated press for USA Today, it was stated that the number of states requiring a financial class to be implemented in public schools has increased from nine to fifteen from the years 2007-2009, and the number of schools requiring a high school student to pass a financial class for graduation has risen from seven to thirteen. By ordering more states to require financial classes in order for graduation from public schools, America is preparing a sturdy defense of young adults with a keen mind in finances and financial decision making, thereby establishing a pivot upon which America can turn the recession around.
Implementing classes would be daunting on a public schools curriculum when many focus on state and federal standardized testing; however without financial classes America is just allowing the opportunity for more young adults to infect the country with poor financial decisions. To relieve the stress of adding an entirely new class into the curriculum many schools are implementing the teaching of personal finances to be a part of another subject matter. By creating this extra matter within a subject, schools are preparing kids with knowledge in credit card debt, making a down payment, mortgage rates, and interest, which are all important aspects in every adult’s life. The world is run by money, and the need to educate the young population on how to be a functioning part of the world by making smart financial decisions is at hand. The strongest solution to this financial recession is the integration of financial studies within the public school system thereby providing each student with the education they will need to use as soon as they graduate and have to begin making financial decisions for their own self.
