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Synopsis

A call has been made for the government to make personal finance a compulsory curriculum subject.

Personal finance is currently incorporated into other subjects such as Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship, but some say this is not enough.

"This is a stand-alone subject and it's got to be taught in a stand-alone way," said Gavin Shreeve, chief executive of the Institute of Financial Services.

"This is a skill everybody in society needs. In the same way that numeracy, literacy, IT skills, are fundamental to anybody operating as a citizen, so is money."

Orpington College in Kent is one of around 100 schools and colleges around the country teaching the Certificate in Financial Studies, a vocationally related qualification comparable to an AS level.

"There is a gap in the financial literacy of young people that we have been teaching in this college and in many colleges and schools around the country, for many years," said David Fagan from the college. "Also, there is a huge opportunity for employment and I know the sector itself is several hundred thousand places short."

One student added: "It's been very useful because it's all about real-life situations, like what we're going to do when we're older. It's all about you achieving your aspirations, planning what you're going to do and how you're going to get there."



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