The Victorian Government is encouraging schools to sign up for a new challenge set to multiply opportunities for students to strengthen and test their financial literacy skills.
The challenge is open to all Victorian primary and secondary students as part of the Mathematical Association of Victoria’s annual Maths Talent Quest, and will see students challenged to flip everyday financial situations and decisions from risky to rewarding.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale said the new Financial Literacy in Practice challenge would bring a real-world focus to financial literacy education in the classroom.
“I’m encouraging every school and student in Bass and surrounding region to get involved in the FLIP challenge, growing their financial literacy skills and learning about the real-life impact of economics in our world,“ Ms Crugnale said.
Students can enter the challenge as individuals, groups or a whole class and select their own investigation topic based on their personal interests.
Topics can relate to financial literacy in everyday life – like buying a pet, planning a holiday, exploring household costs or setting up a small business, or broader, more complex societal issues like the cost of climate change or blockchain technologies, or comparing electric and combustion engine vehicles.
Students will be encouraged to formulate big questions, make and test hypotheses, collect and analyse data, and explain and justify their results.
The investigations will be judged by the Mathematical Association of Victoria, and the top investigations across each category will be entered into the National Maths Talent Quest, which has been running each year since 1982.
All Victorian government schools are required to deliver financial literacy education as part of the Victorian Curriculum, through the Economics and Business and Mathematics learning areas.
Education Minister James Merlino said financial literacy education wasn’t just about money and how to get rich quick.
“…it’s about teaching students how to make great economic decisions for life – as well as key life skills like tax, superannuation and the role of the markets and innovation,“ Mr Merlino said.
Schools are encouraged to register students or find out more about the FLIP Challenge by visiting mav.vic.edu.au
