Financial nous as important as sex education, says archbishop

LEARNING about finances is as important as learning about sex, the Church of England has said.

In a submission to the Government’s review of personal, social and health education (PSHE) and sex education in schools, the Church warned that financial knowledge was being neglected in favour of sex education.

A joint response to the consultation from the Church and the Just Finance Foundation, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s financial education initiative, said they were “concerned” that “the strong focus on sex and relationships education ... risks overlooking the other components of PSHE that are no less essential to the future flourishing of our children and young people. We would like to see financial education receive parity with sex and relationships education.”

It adds that parents find the subject of money “difficult to broach”, in a similar way to sex, leaving children in the dark about good practice.

The Department for Education launched the classes consultation at the end of last year following an announcement that they would be compulsory for all children from four years old.

♦ Former prostitutes will no longer be blocked from working and volunteering after the High Court ruled that soliciting convictions should be hidden.

Fiona Broadfoot and two other women said they were forced into sex work as teenagers and each had multiple convictions for soliciting or loitering. The women said the law blocked them from volunteering at schools, brownie groups and with the elderly because of DBS checks which showed their previous convictions.