Fiona Bruce enlists stellar support for next stage in Financial Education project
‘Superwoman’ Shirley Conran has joined forces with Fiona Bruce MP to bring opportunities for financial education and training for young people beyond the classroom walls.
Following the recent announcement by the Department of Education that Financial Education will be included in the curriculum in schools, Fiona Bruce is now extending her campaign for help with money management and advice to reach young people who would not ordinarily be able to access financial education within the school day. This could be because they have left school early, found maths lessons at school difficult, or simply lack support at home. The interactive online learning ‘MONEY STUFF’ programme enables people to access a 40 hour course anywhere at anytime to develop their maths ability in a fun and engaging way.
MONEY STUFF has been developed by Shirley Conran, author of whose books include Lace, and Superwoman and former columnist for Vanity Fair, women's editor of The Daily Mail and a feature writer for The Observer newspaper, with an aim to raise the aspirations of young women across the country.
Short stories are threaded through the exercises and the programme is written from the point of view of the learner-reader – not the author or teacher. The Course is available as an iPad ebook, using iBooks Author Textbook application. It can also be individually printed.
This programme will be made available to young people across the country in after-school clubs, youth centres, job centres, or on the internet for all.
Shirley Conran says “This cause is appropriate for anyone aged 13 to 99 and aims to enable people to control their finances –however much (or little) they have – rather than be controlled by them.”
At present this scheme is only available to girls but the one for boys is currently being worked on.
Fiona Bruce is also launching a Parliamentary Inquiry into how vulnerable young people can be helped to have a better understanding of managing money. The Inquiry will run for two months starting later this Spring.
Fiona Bruce MP commented:
“I believe Financial Education is vitally important and is an issue I have focused on since I was elected in 2010 and firmly believe it is critical that all are equipped to manage their finances. The well designed MONEY STUFF course is comprised of four components starting with simple addition and ending with personal budget setting and an understanding of interest calculations, so that our young people are equipped for life.
MONEY STUFF makes the vitally important link between maths and money. The programme includes DVD input, coloured illustrations, photographs and interactive areas which encourage readers to pay attention, to focus: visuals break up the text and project a real life relevance that is missing from most maths textbooks; they also remind us why maths is useful!
It is vital to ensure that members of the next generation are better equipped than those of the present generation to make informed financial decisions, for the sake of their well-being and that of our whole society. I believe that, over time, investment in financial education will reap exponential benefits for our society and firmly believe that financial education is necessary – prevention is better than cure.”
