Personal Finance Classes In High School

While I'm taking the quick route to learning about personal finances, there are still a lot of parents that don't teach. While I hope that since you are visiting here that you will begin teaching your child about money from a young age, I think that schools also need to do a better job (look at me, already critiquing the education system and I haven't even entered preschool let alone learned to walk). While personal finance education is still lacking to a huge degree, there are small signs of hope. I found this article about a school that is teaching personal finances:

The Delaware Community School board feels a money management course is so important that the board will require students to take personal finance starting with the class of 2010. The course is now an elective, but because students have to take college preparatory courses the number of students who take the elective is low, Principal Greg Hinshaw said.

I think that is a wonderful step in the right direction. The following quote summed up what is happening in many of our schools today:

"Sometimes I feel like were preparing everyone to go to college, which is great, but those everyday things (basics like personal finance) are getting left behind."

I hope that more school districts take on this attitude as being educated in personal finances could be worth even more than a college education if it keeps the person from making basic financial mistakes in their lifetime.