It's an issue some states are working to address.
Nearly 1 in 4 2022 high school graduates took a standalone personal finance course, according to the group Next-Gen Personal Finance, a 6% jump from 20-18. “It’s our jobs as educators to make sure student has access to make those real-life decisions,” said Leigh Martin, a professor at Clemson University.Right now, more than a dozen states require students to pass a financial literacy course before graduating. The push is gaining traction across the country, with the pandemic, and current state of the economy, providing inspiration.
“It’s my understanding that even national organizations, such as the national council of teachers and mathematics, espouse the importance of financial literacy for all students,” Martin said."I think there are opportunities to connect some of these skills in topics you're already talking about in some of your math classes, at least in terms of the practicality of what you're doing,” Martin said.
Next-Gen Personal Finance said there are financial literacy bills up for consideration in five states.
When I was in high school, in the '60s, we didn't have credit cards, but we learned to invest our money, budget for rent/mortage, food, and car payments. They also taught us to read the stock market and farm reports in the papers. Taxes, too.