– I had no idea what to do with taxes or BSU or any of that, says 18-year-old Henriette Klemo-Hjemdal. When she got her first job as a 14-year-old, there were many new things to get used to. – If it had happened without my parents present, I would have been completely “lost”. I think many young people can relate to that. She is today the leader of the youth city council in Kristiansand, where she represents the city’s young people. Klemo-Hjemdal believes that children and young people should receive better training in personal finance. – I think young people feel it is a very important topic, about which you don’t really get much knowledge, says Klemo-Hjemdal. Because what happens when you move away from home for the first time and have to take responsibility for your own finances? – There was a lot I couldn’t, which I just had to find out myself, says Anna Emilie G. Johansen (20). – Deposits and things like that, I had no idea about that when I moved here, explains the student. – I didn’t know how to pay bills and things like that. I hadn’t learned that, says Matilde Hals (20). Missing practical knowledge With new curricula in the autumn of 2020, personal finance should enter the classrooms. Many still believe that the training is inadequate. – If you choose the theoretical math, you actually get no knowledge about BSU and the budget, says Klemo-Hjemdal, who herself is in the second year of upper secondary school. She gets support from the political side. – There has been an increased focus on this over time, but the problem has not diminished, says the city council representative in Kristiansand, Amalie Gunnufsen (H). She points out that she believes many teachers do a lot of good work, but believes there is great variation from school to school. – Some are lucky enough to get this from home, but unfortunately not all, and then school can be a very nice place to learn it for everyone. Amalie Gunnufsen is a city council representative for the Conservative Party in Kristiansand. Last week, she brought up the school’s economics education in the city council. Photo: Ada Bjøranger / news A study carried out by OsloMet in 2020 showed that own experiences were the most important way to learn about personal finances. The school finished at the bottom of the list. The report was a knowledge base for the Ministry of Children and Families, which was to draw up an action plan to increase the financial competence of the population. Should learn about personal finances throughout the school year State Secretary in the Ministry of Education Kjetil Vevle (Ap), says he agrees that finances are an important topic. – For example, being able to set up a budget or know how to pay bills helps prepare young people for the society they will enter, says Vevle. He says it is good that students let us know what they want more of, and that this should be listened to. – The new curricula are quite clear that pupils must learn about personal finance in several subjects throughout the school year, says Vevle. He emphasizes that it takes time to introduce the new curricula. – We know that work is being done well in many places and it is important that we allow the schools time to adopt the new curricula. We follow this work and evaluate along the way. Where did you learn to manage your own finances? I received a good education at school My parents have helped me with most things I figured things out on my own I don’t feel I have very good control over my own finances Show result The Ministry of Education states that personal finances are part of the interdisciplinary topic of public health and coping with life. It is also found in, among other things, mathematics and social studies. Lack of practical knowledge Ellen Katrine Nyhus is professor of marketing at the School of Economics at the University of Agder. She also believes that it is the practical skills that many young people lack. – They have some knowledge that they have learned at school. For example, calculating a bit on interest, but they lack a lot of practical knowledge. What should this knowledge of interest be used for? Today, in addition to financial knowledge, you must have digital competence. That can make things even more demanding, says Ellen Kathrine Nyhus at the University of Agder. Photo: Ada Bjøranger / news According to Nyhus, it has become more difficult for children to learn through observation, because you pay with cards, mobile phones or even watches. – That makes it difficult for children to understand cash flows, explains Nyhus. Because children today can get their own bank cards at the age of 6-7, Nyhus believes that training should start early. – It is quite complex knowledge, so it is therefore important to acquire it gradually throughout primary school.
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– Didn’t know how I paid bills – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
