Financial lessons for children shift online

AN INITIATIVE aimed at improving financial education among young children will be extended online this week in response to some five million children remaining off primary school as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The KickStart Money programme, funded by 20 financial companies and overseen by charity MyBnk, will start delivering money education into the homes of children aged between five and 11, via a range of videos, games and quizzes. The move has been welcomed by John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

He told The Mail on Sunday: ‘KickStart Money is a fantastic initiative that provides essential financial education at an age where attitudes towards money are first formed.

‘I applaud KickStart Money for acting so quickly in these unprecedented times to make sure children across the country are able to learn about the importance of money from home.

‘These programmes will help young people make smart financial decisions when they are older.’

MyBnk has been providing money education in primary schools for the past two years via its Primary Money Twist programme. Long term, it is keen to see it established as part of the national curriculum, but short term its objective is to get its financial education message into young families’ homes.

Jane Goodland, co-chair of KickStart Money and a director of wealth manager Quilter, said: ‘The need for financial education doesn’t stop just because children aren’t at school.’ She also said it was ‘essential’ that financial education is now included as a compulsory element of the primary school curriculum to prevent children leaving education with little understanding of how to manage finances.

‘This is particularly vital when we are living in such uncertain economic times,’ she added.