Dear Future President,

Kids need to be learning educational items that will be more beneficial to their futures. Only five states require high school students to take a class about money. American students really do need to be educated about the basics including paying bills, building good credit, and avoiding debt. They should also be informed about materials that don’t fit under the money category including cooking/household duties. I believe a beneficial education should be the top priority of our future president because, without learning the qualities of money and basic everyday items, scholar’s will most likely struggle with later life and depend on their parents.

All high schoolers should be taught about handling money and everyday things. A survey from Ohio State University shows that 70% of college students are stressed about financial situations. Part of the reason is because, most undergraduates were never instructed about how to manage their money in an efficient manner. (Grabmeier, 1) Without receiving education on financials, students will suffer on not knowing the basics as to how to handle it and it could potentially affect their success in school as well as their futures. In addition, students need to be informed about home economics. Some states have less than 1% of students participating in FACS courses. It's the school’s responsibility to provide an education on the basic concepts of home management. (Sparks,1) It matters because, it helps to have the student become well-rounded individuals, not only academically, but within their personal well-being. Overall, if the schools offer these courses I believe it would have a positive impact on student's success.

Although, people believe schools should stick to the basics like mathematics and language arts, it might be something to explore at some point to offer financial and home economic groundwork. It will increase the rate of basic financial knowledge which in turn would reduce stress. Currently, many students are struggling and it would be way more beneficial to incorporate classes that will have a positive impact to his/her future. (Bortz, 1) If this idea won’t be added into schools around the US, students will continue to struggle.

The future president should use his/her influence to persuade schools to incorporate this within their curriculum. The Global Goal this is most closely connected to would be “Quality Education”. It would allow the US to support the UN’s initiative by preparing students with the knowledge to go through their later years with less burdens. Students are coming out of college with major financial debt and they need to know what’s in their best interest in how to pay off that debt to relieve stress. If they can alleviate the debt in turn it will start them off with good credit.

By: Caitlin Reinard

This picture shows how states rank in their efforts to improve financial literacy in high schools.