Finance is a factor in every decision we make as adults, from choosing a job to when we retire, and everything in between. However, personal finance is still not a necessary program in every large class… however.
For 75 years, the Council for Economic Education (CEE) has worked to change that. The goal of the K-12 program is to give students the tools and economy information they need to make wiser decisions for themselves, their households, and their communities.
The CEE releases the Survey of the State every two years, a crucial indicator of progress in economic and financial education for K-12 students, which shows how far the nation has come and how far we still must come. According to the 2024 Survey of the States, options have significantly increased for young people in all 50 states to acquire the necessary personal finance expertise to fulfill their lifelong economic potential.
“It’s been a symbol two years for young person’s financial information and future,” said Nan J. Morrison, CEE President & CEO. Capital and chance are created when all high schools are required to teach the concepts of personal finance and economics and all students to study them. More and more children are learning about the value of life-essential economic information.
Twelve states have passed laws mandating that all students take a stand-alone personal finance course to graduate from high school within the next two decades, with nine of those laws only passed in 2023. The new rules in these 12 states may lead to over 10 million more K–12 students—21% of existing students—gaining guaranteed entry to this information.
Research clearly demonstrates the beneficial influence that a quarter can have on young person’s financial decisions in their early adulthood. 88% of Americans in a 2022 poll by the National Endowment for Financial Education said their state should mandate a personal finance course for high school graduation.
Panelist Kevin Morgan, a CEE Master Teacher of Social Studies and Personal Financial Literacy, stated that personal finance is the most crucial training a student may always get at the life event announcing the CEE’s results. Where was this group when I was in high school, you ask? He claims that because they are aware of its relevance, the pupils are interested. “In many of the states who have passed these demands, it’s the individuals that are requesting this training.”
While most people agree that this subject really be covered in high school, passing policy is a different matter. One of the 2023 achievement tales is Pennsylvania. Chris Gebhard, a state senator from Pennsylvania, joined the CEE board to stress the value of financial education. When we were younger, my parents introduced us to investing, credit accounts, and plan. Because this was information we weren’t getting in schools, I never realized what a blessing that was. When Gebhard entered Pennsylvania politics and realized that finance wasn’t taught in high schools, he put the need for legislation to fix it in mind, and the bill was passed in December. When asked what advice he’d give to the 15 states who haven’t passed legislation, Gebhard says it’s all about finding an advocate. Find somebody who wants to promote the idea first and foremost. Get one in each state who shares that perspective and who can see how it could be a positive change for the future of young adults in Pennsylvania.
By:
- Requesting a lessons at your institution or city
- Requesting the specialized development instructors demand.
- Promoting program requirements and standards at the state level.
- Call your neighborhood CEE internet or the Council for Economic Education.