Artykuły

Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"


Hilary Osborne
Tuesday January 10, 2006
Lessons about spending and saving money will form the basis of a new personal finance qualification for 14-16 year olds, launched today by the Institute for Financial Services (IFS).
The course, which will be offered to GCSE students, is designed to provide a basic understanding of money management and is the first course of its type to be accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
A pilot scheme has been running in seven schools since September, with 200 students taking the course, and IFS plans to make the qualifications available to all schools and colleges at the beginning of the next academic year.
The level one foundation certificate in personal finance is split into two units - "introduction to money" and "money management" - while the level two intermediate certificate covers "personal finance encounters" and "money management solutions".
In practice the certificates cover subjects such as understanding how and when to use a cash machine or a cheque, the benefits of shopping around and using online auction sites, and drawing up a budget.
Sample questions on the level one multiple-choice exam paper include "who makes sterling coins in the UK?" and "what is the minimum wage for 16- and 17-year-olds?"
"These are all skills which will help them later on in life," said Dorothy Wood, head of financial capability at the IFS.
"The foundation and intermediate level are all about financial encounters they are likely to encounter in their adult life."
Ms Wood said feedback from the teachers currently teaching the scheme had been very positive.
Her colleague Gavin Shreeve, the chief executive of the IFS, said he hoped more schools would sign up.
"Financial literacy in the UK is at crisis point with consumer debt hitting over £1 trillion in 2005 for the first time.
"The introduction of the IFS level one and two qualifications could not have come at a better time and we hope to encourage more schools and colleges to take up our financial capability qualifications to help secure a financially fit future.
"We believe these skills are so fundamental that we are also planning to offer these courses to the wider adult community."
Wendy van den Hende, chief executive of the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) said IFS's courses were "excellent" but suggested not enough was being done to improve the nation's financial understanding.
"Qualifications give status to a subject and this is very helpful," she said. "However this is just one piece of the jigsaw as not all young people will take this route."
"Pfeg takes the view that for the next generation to be financially capable, schools need to embed personal finance education from four-year-olds through to school leavers via a range of subjects, for example personal, social and health education, mathematics, work related learning and enterprise."
Currently, 80% of schools in England cover personal finance topics in these lessons, the majority in as part of personal, social and health studies lessons. However, students have been unable to earn a qualification in money management.

accredit- akredytować (w szkolnictwie), uznawać oficjalnie
basis- podstawa
capability- zdolność, możliwość
capable- kompetentny
community- społeczność
curriculum- program nauczania
draw upnakreślac, przygotować (plan)
embed- utrwalać
encounter- zetknięcie się; spotykać, napotykać, stykać się z
enterprise- przedsiębiorczość
feedback- informacja zwrotna, opinia
foundation- podstawa
jigsaw- układanka
launch- wydać, wprowadzić w życie
multiple-choice- wielokrotny wybór, wielokrotnego wyboru (np. test_
provide- zapewniać, dostarczać
sample- próbka, próbny, przykładowy
solution- rozwiązanie
take up- zainteresować się (czymś), zająć się czymś



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