National Assembly for Wales

Consultation on a proposed Financial Education and Inclusion (Wales) Bill

Response from: Wrexham County Borough Council

Date: 28.04.14

1. What are your views on making financial education a statutory part of the curriculum (from Key Stage 2 onwards), in a similar way to personal and social education (PSE) and work-related education?

Financial education should not be made a statutory part of the curriculum as there is already some degree of financial education being delivered in the current curriculum.

2. To what extent should there be increased provision of financial education in schools to better prepare young people for the challenges and financial decisions they face beyond school?

The current provision is satisfactory since it is being delivered via numeracy lessons and mathematics. I understand that it will also be included in the new Numeracy GSCE when it is introduced in 2015, therefore these provisions are sufficient.

3. In what ways and to what extent are money and financial matters relevant to what young people should be learning at school?

Money and financial matters are relevant to what young people should be learning at school but we should be making the link via numeracy lessons. 

4. If financial education becomes a statutory part of the curriculum, should schools have flexibility in how they follow guidance on its delivery? (This would be similar to PSE and work-related education but different to the way national curriculum subjects are taught).

Yes.

5. What are your views on the Welsh Government and local education authorities having a statutory duty to ensure financial education is delivered during compulsory education from Key Stage 2 onwards?

Financial education should be delivered via links with the numeracy curriculum in schools.

Schools should be able to continue to opt to deliver the financial qualification at Key Stage 4 where they choose.   

6. What are your views on imposing a duty on Welsh Ministers to ensure that financial education is taught on a cross-curricular basis in primary and secondary schools and considered as part of any reviews of the curriculum?

A duty should not be imposed – financial education should be taught primarily in mathematics lessons, making cross-curricular links where possible.