Austria plans to expand financial education in schools

Austria’s education ministry has unveiled a new financial education strategy, including plans to add money management to school curricula by next year, ORF reports. The strategy covers saving, investing and fraud prevention.

Schools in Carinthia already teach financial topics from primary school through the upper grades, often as part of geography lessons, said education director Tanja Leitner. She said younger pupils learn about money through activities including a “pocket money licence”, developed in cooperation with debt counselling services.

The ministry also wants to strengthen financial education in upper secondary academic schools. Financial topics are already part of the curriculum at commercial academies, Leitner said. A new curriculum for upper secondary schools is being prepared for introduction from the next school year, though its contents have not yet been finalised.

Leitner said officials were coordinating with the federal government and expected teachers to receive additional training. She said Carinthia was preparing to implement the changes next year.

ORF also interviewed Andreas Pregl, head of Carinthia’s debt counselling service, about how rising prices are affecting residents’ finances.