The importance of Financial Education in Schools

Abstract

This work arises from the concern of realizing the importance of financial education for people's Financial Citizenship. Crises and political, economic and financial instability in Brazil have directly affected Brazilian citizens, especially low-income people. Some measures are adopted by government officials to contain these imbalances caused by these crises, which ends up harming even more the less favored sectors of society and the citizen with little knowledge. With this demand on the rise, actions began for schools to address the theme “Financial Education”, with the intention of improving the citizen's relationship with money and consumption. Many researchers understand that there are intentions in financial education as it is being proposed, as it tries to instill consumerism in students. In literacies studies that seek ability to construct meanings, there are segmentations that treat financial literacies as skills to read, analyze, manage, communicate and discern choices. Education also receives criticism for not contextualizing the needs of society within the school environment, leaving a deficit in the formation of citizens. Critical financial literacy can help social development. It is the school's duty to bring into the student's social reality and work critically. Financial Education receives a lot of criticism for the intentions included within proposals with a capitalist and neoliberal bias, so it is the great challenge of education to extirpate these intentions and instill intentions that develop citizens and that they can contribute to their society in a fair and conscious way.