School students in NSW will be given the opportunity to fine-tune their financial literacy skills and learn about ways to secure their own future, including through initiatives like the new Kids Future Fund account, under a plan from the NSW Nationals.
Under this plan:
• The NSW Treasurer’s Financial Literacy Challenge, launched in 2022 for students from Kindergarten to Year 10, will be expanded to include Years 11 and 12 students under a new partnership with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
• Content for Kindergarten to Year 10 students will also be updated to ensure students understand, and are able to make the most of, financial initiatives such as the new Kids Future Fund account.
Students in Years 11 and 12 often have casual or part-time jobs, and are considering their next steps after school, whether that be university, vocational education and training, or work.
Boosting their financial literacy skills will help give them a head start in securing their own financial security.
Nationals’ Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the Challenge activities would complement the existing financial literacy learning that senior students do in the classroom.
“The activities in the expanded Treasurer’s Financial Literacy Challenge will be aligned to the NSW curriculum and provide students with a chance to dive deeper and gain more industry-approved knowledge,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The current Challenge has already proven a success, with more than 14,000 students across the State registered in 2022, so we know this expansion will be warmly received by senior students.”
The Challenge will remain online, self-paced, and voluntary. Students will be issued with a certificate when they have completed the Challenge.
The expanded Challenge would be available for the 2024 school year.