High school students in Saskatchewan are getting an expanded opportunity to lay the groundwork and develop their knowledge around finances.
The province has announced more financial literacy courses will soon be offered.
“Not just debits and credits, but mortgages, interest, loans; how all that works,” Education Minister Gord Wyant described.
“We’re going to pilot it in a number of schools in the next upcoming school year with a view of developing the program so that it’ll be available across the province.”
The minister said a number of organizations pointed out there was a lack of financial literacy for people as they left high school.
Initially, Wyant said these courses will be offered as an elective.
Still, Wyant believes the response to these new classes will be high.
Grade 12 student Aditi Matta at F.W. Johnson Collegiate is encouraged by these additional courses for other students, whether they choose a career in business or not.
“Even if they’re not going into a business field and going into a science field, it’s going to really help them, not in the career that they choose but a basic life skill,” Matta said.
The announcement comes as the province wrestles with its own financial woes, with a projected deficit of $595 million as of the third quarter update.
“The fact that the government has a plan to bring their budget back into balance is a good example for students,” he said.
“Governments should live within their means, people should live within their means and I think people should expect their government to do that.”
Full implementation of these new financial courses could come as early as September 2019.