American High School Curriculum Addition by Anthony

American High School Curriculum Addition by Anthony - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

Traditional American high schools generally cover a wide array of subjects and topics. Some of them are applicable to only that field of study and not usually transferrable to everyday life after high school or college. With that being said, I think it is vitally important to create a well-rounded individual who has been exposed to multiple areas of study as they progress through these different times in their lives. But what about the things every adult will use every day? The most common could arguably be money. And if money is part of every adult's life, it only makes sense to start teaching money management as soon as possible. I think that traditional American high schools lack an extremely important topic that is overlooked in the current curriculum; money management and financial literacy. Money management and financial literacy courses would cover information regarding credit cards, interest rates, student loans, debt, collections, insurance, retirement and savings. After all, these are necessary skills to function properly in life. As one becomes an adult, one must know how to correctly balance a checkbook, understand credit cards and interest rates and comprehend loan terms as many high school students will go into college needing the assistance of student loans. We need to get teachers who are trained in personal finance, have knowledge of the business world and can correctly convey messages regarding financial literacy and a successful financial future. In most cases, teachers become certified to teach subjects through education in college in their particular subject area but when was the last time you saw a college offer a bachelors or master’s degree in money management to enable teachers to lecture on financial matters? Not all teachers should require training and these classes should not be listed as a state requirement for students. Teachers are not parental replacements. Parents don’t generally teach their kids history, literature, physics, and calculus. These are subjects that to teach require strong familiarity, perfectly suited for teachers. While there may be some overlap, most parents can’t cover everything.

Money management is a learned skill. No one is born understanding how to manage money and financial planning at the high school level can empower students with skills that their lives at home can’t. It is my guess that students who start to learn about taxes at an early age are empowered when they reach the job market as they are not shocked to see just how much taxes reduce their take-home pay or how much money is taken out of their check if they have enrolled in a life-savings plan. Students need to know concepts of compound interest, investments, goal setting, amortization and how much one can afford when looking at larger purchases. Many parents don’t teach life-learning skills like money management, a topic that requires no textbooks and no special training. In fact, many do not have the skills to teach. The public high school curriculum should not be life training but it should cover certain areas of life that affect individuals on a daily basis. Why else would they provide subjects such as home economics, auto shop and wood shop? High schools do not teach students what they need to know in the “real world.” Students planning to provide for a family right away rather than going to college need personal financial education immediately. It’s not only the parents’ responsibility, and if proper knowledge is not attained early on, life will eventually “happen” to the students which could result in years and years of financial hardship.