Encouraging financial literacy at school
Roy Thompson, Head of Financial Services at Sussex-based Carpenter Box Financial Advisers, took to the classroom to help boost financial literacy among Year 8 and 9 school students in Eastbourne.
Roy shared his financial wisdom during two sessions delivered to 14 and 15-year-old students at St. Catherine’s College, emphasising the value of a basic understanding of finance, the benefits of saving and the value of strategies for building a solid financial future.
“I have long thought that young people at school could benefit from a better understanding of personal finance” said Roy. “It’s not something routinely taught in the classroom, so I was very pleased to be given the opportunity by St. Catherine’s College headteacher Solomon Berhane to pass on some of my knowledge.”
The students were active participants in the sessions, asking questions that ranged from the intricacies of mortgages, the size of deposits needed to buy a house and how best to save for the future. They were also curious to find out more about complex topics like cryptocurrencies.
Roy added: “The big message I wanted to get across was that finance is not just about managing money, but about securing a better future. For young people, this probably seems like something they don’t need to worry about for a long way into the future, but I hope they left the sessions understanding that financial stability comes from consistent, informed actions over time, not from sudden windfalls.”
Carpenter Box Financial Advisers is committed to community engagement and will continue to advocate for financial literacy in schools in the hope that more institutions will integrate these essential skills into their curriculum.
