Financial capability in Northern Ireland
For detailed information on financial capability in Northern Ireland, visit nicurriculum.org.uk/fc the Northern Ireland Curriculum Financial Capability website
Primary education
The Northern Ireland Curriculum aims to empower young people to achieve their potential and to make informed and responsible choices throughout their lives. Revised Curriculum requirements came into effect from 2007 starting with students in Year 1.
Within the Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2, financial education will continue to be taught mainly within mathematics but will also be addressed, as appropriate, across the curriculum.
Secondary education
The Northern Ireland Curriculum aims to empower young people to achieve their potential and to make informed and responsible choices and decisions throughout their lives. Revised curriculum requirements came into effect from 2007 starting with students in Years 5, 8 and 11.
At Key Stage 3 financial education is catered for in at least three ways:
- as a statutory aspect of learning within mathematics, focusing on developing financial knowledge, financial skills and financial responsibility. The statutory statement will require that young people should have opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of personal finance issues and skills to enable competent and responsible financial decision making, and to apply mathematical skills in everyday financial planning and decision making.
- as a statutory aspect of learning within the home economics learning area, within the key concept of independent living. The statutory statement will require that young people should have opportunities:
- to develop a range of skills to promote independence through planning, managing and using resources
- to explore scenarios for future independent living
- to investigate a range of factors that influence consumer choices and decisions
- to investigate consumer rights, responsibilities and support available in a range of scenarios.
- Within the key element of economic awareness which will provide additional opportunities to highlight financial capability across all learning areas.
At Key Stage 4 financial capability is covered within the statutory requirements of learning for life and work. Mathematics continues to cover the calculations element of personal finance. Optional courses which will include significant opportunities to develop financial capability include: a new pilot GCSE in Financial Services as well as GCSE courses in economics, and home economics.
