We must improve financial education in schools

When I was at school in the, er, 1980s, there was no such thing as financial education. Yes, we had maths lessons but they focused on the hypotenuse and mastering scientific calculators. I still break out in a sweat at the thought of trigonometry. Since my day (when all this was fields etc etc), the curriculum has changed significantly. No more Home Economics – I think it’s called Domestic Science now – and I’m guessing that ballroom dancing has been replaced by something altogether more modern. I also suspect that the fledgling word processing lab at my high school has morphed into a 21st century cutting-edge centre where coding lessons are commonplace. Given the pace of change over recent decades, I’m wondering why finance is still so neglected in the classroom? We’ve embraced all kinds of facets of educational progress, why not practical money matters? New research out today from the Money Advice Service paints a bleak picture.