The results of the program “Financial Education at School” are summarized
2018-06-26
Lusine Arakelyan, RA Deputy Minister of Education and Science, handed certificates of appreciation to schools and teachers included in the pilot program “Financial Education at School.” Welcoming the participants, the Deputy Minister mentioned, that within the framework of the program children gained not only theoretical but also practical knowledge, which would enable them to orientate, manage their own money and save it having certain skills and financial knowledge. Stressing that the meeting is aimed at providing feedback with teachers, identifying the strong and weak points of the program, revising it and fixing all the problems, Lusine Arakelyan mentioned, “This program is important for the Ministry of Education and Science within this very framework, since it helps develop thinking skills. Children should have financial knowledge, literacy and, most importantly, financial awareness since childhood.” According to the Deputy Minister, the program is quite pretentious, taking into account that it will be introduced in the entire republic.
It was mentioned, that yet in 2014 the RA Government approved the National Strategy of Financial Education in RA, where the program “Financial Education at School” was of great importance taking into account the general principles of its implementation. Since 2015 RA Ministry of Education and Science and the Central Bank of Armenia cooperating with the National Institute of Education, Armenian Representation of Savings Banks Foundation for International Cooperation, “Junior Achievements of Armenia” non-governmental organization have developed a document entitled “Matrix of Financial Competency of Learners”, which establishes minimum financial knowledge, skills, attitudes and behavior necessary for learners, taking into account their educational level. Furthermore, 4 subjects have been chosen, in the program of which the component of financial education will be included: “Me and the Surrounding World (2nd to 4th grades), “Mathematics” (2nd to 6th grades), “Sociology” (8th to 11th grades), “Algebra” (7th to 11th grades). In 2016 a working group of 11 experts was formed, which dealt with the development of content material within the framework of the program. Taking into account subject standards, programs and teacher training modules, in 2017 46 teachers from 14 schools were trained, who, during the academic year 2017-2018, tested the content of financial education including it in the subject. Final corrections will be made in the documents based on the program testing results. From September 2018 the program is to be introduced in 350 schools of RA provinces, training more than 3000 teachers.
