Fiona Bruce MP calls on local schools to take part in My Money Week
Fiona Bruce MP has called on local schools to take part in My Money Week (3 to 9 June), giving pupils the chance to learn more about money and personal finance. Every primary and secondary school in Congleton is being given the chance to take part for free in My Money Week, which has returned for its fifth year.
Fiona Bruce MP, Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Financial Education for Young People and Chair of the APPG’s second Inquiry which is currently taking place in Parliament, this one focusing on Financial Education for Vulnerable Young People, commented:
“Financial Education is vitally important and is an issue I have focused on since I was elected in 2010 – I firmly believe it is critical that children are equipped to manage their finances. Debt is such a huge problem in our society and there is tremendous value in teaching our children how to manage their money. 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.
I am currently chairing a Parliamentary Inquiry on Financial Education for Vulnerable Young People. One clear theme that has come out of the work of this Inquiry already is that the majority of parents feel ill equipped to teach their children how to manage money and in a sense therefore virtually all children are vulnerable when it comes to knowing how to handle money. Secondly, it is also clear that we need to start building awareness of how to manage money when children are younger than seven and work jointly with parents and children in this regard.
I would therefore encourage all schools in my Constituency to take part in My Money Week to improve young people’s financial skills, knowledge and confidence.”
Tracey Bleakley, chief executive of the charity pfeg, which is dedicated to improving financial education, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Fiona Bruce MP in promoting My Money Week this year, and I hope all schools in the Congleton Constituency will seize the opportunity to take part through our free activity pack, advice and support.”
Fiona and colleagues who are also passionate about this issue met with the Prime Minister last year to call on the Government to introduce financial education to the curriculum following an Inquiry of the APPG which resulted in financial education being introduced into the National Curriculum.
Fiona Bruce MP, welcoming this huge victory in the campaign for financial education in schools commented:
“Our first Parliamentary Inquiry into Financial Education in 2011/12 recommended that personal financial education should be a compulsory part of every school’s curriculum, that it should be assessed and that financial education should be cross-curricular, overlapping with maths and PSHE. I am absolutely delighted our hard work has borne fruit and that the Government is implementing our recommendations.”
Teachers in Congleton can pre-order their free My Money Week Activity Packs at www.pfeg.org/mymoneyweek
· Photograph shows a Hearing of the Inquiry into Financial Education for Vulnerable Young People in the Houses of Parliament with (left to right) Kristina Leonett (Quaker Social Action), Jerry Jarvis (Chairman of Maths Action and former Chief Executive of Edexcel), Shirley Conran OBE (author and founder of MONEY STUFF), Dr Samantha Callan (Centre for Social Justice), Fiona Bruce MP (Chair of the Inquiry), Scott Craig (Bite the Ballot) and Tracey Bleakley (Chief Executive of pfeg).
· More information about the Inquiry can be found at http://www.pfeg.org/policy-campaigning/pfeg-and-parliament/appg-vulnerable-young-people-strand
About My Money Week 2013
· My Money Week will improve young people’s financial skills, knowledge and confidence through special lessons, activities and debates in schools and other settings across the UK. Teachers in Congleton can order a free Activity Pack, developed by pfeg, full of creative and engaging financial resources and ideas for how to deliver financial education to young people, from the age of four up to 19. Young people in Congleton can also take part in the ‘A-Z of Money’, a national competition challenging them to learn more about money through creative writing.
· My Money Week is taking place in schools throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 3rd June – 9th June 2013
· Since the first My Money Week in 2009, more than three million young people have been helped to understand more about money and personal finance through focused activities in schools. In 2012 around 500,000 young people took part in My Money Week activities, with 99 percent of teachers reporting an increase in skills and knowledge and 91 percent of teachers reporting a shift in students’ attitudes towards money.
· My Money Week is a financial education programme developed and executed by pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group), the UK’s leading financial education charity. My Money Week 2013 has been made possible by funding from Barclays
· Over the last four years the week has become the most widely recognised personal finance education initiative in England, and has helped a total of more than three million children and young people understand more about money
