More than 45% of respondents admit they know how to get information to make the best financial decisions, while debt is on the rise again; experts advocate introducing financial education from the very beginning of school life
The increase in debt of the population raises a debate on the need for better financial education of society. The most recent Consumer Indebtedness and Defaults Survey (PEIC), carried out by the National Confederation of Commerce (CNC) highlighted that, in February 2023, Brazil reached the threshold of 73.3% of indebted households, to which must be added 29.8% with overdue accounts and another 11, 6% who admitted they could not pay off their debts. The numbers are up again after a two-month decline.
On the other hand, there is a great demand for education and training related to personal finance management. A 2022 edition of the Brazilian Financial Health Index (I-SFB)carried out by the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) in collaboration with the Central Bank (BC), underlines that, out of a sample of 4,797 adult bankers interviewed between January and March 2022, 45.6% said they knew how to inform themselves in order to make decisions , which represents a decrease of 3.9 percentage points from the I-SFB 2020. And another 30.6% felt able to recognize a good investment (3.5 points less than in the previous study.
Many experts point out that childhood is the best time to introduce people to better education and financial awareness. It is at this stage that they learn to read, write, calculate and assimilate habits that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Economist and professor Edgard Leonardo Meira, of the Centro Universitário Tiradentes (Pernambuco Unit), argues that children should participate in family finances to the extent that they understand, from an early age. “When we are a family, everyone spends resources, so this should be discussed with everyone, including children and young people,” he explains.
Getting the child to acquire notions of finance and investments, as well as creating a good relationship with money, will make him an adult who plans, organizes finances, sets himself goals and has a good quality of life. Talk about saving, investing, necessary and superfluous things, the value of work and more.
“We will teach the child to put off an immediate pleasure for a future pleasure. For example, sometimes he wants a video game or a bicycle, and you, by teaching and explaining in a healthy way, demonstrate that, throughout his life, not always having everything he wants, when he wants, so the child will understand the value of things and that, at certain times, he will need some effort or give up momentary pleasures in order to then get what he wants,” comments Edgard.
Again according to the economist, it is possible to introduce responsibilities based on the age of the child. For example, at the age of seven, he receives a certain amount during a walk so that he has the freedom to buy something that does not exceed what he has on hand. Just as, over time, at the age of 10 he can receive a check to buy the things he wants or to collect, at the age of 12 he can receive a prepaid card from his parents to buy a snack in the school canteen or to use on outings, always followed up on a weekly basis .
Working with the theme at school
Economic and financial education was introduced in 2020 in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) of the Ministry of Education (MEC), starting to be taught in kindergarten and elementary school. Proposes that topics such as finance, interest rates, inflation, financial investments and conscious consumption be covered in basic education curricula, with the aim of raising awareness and training adults who have a healthy relationship with money .
“The idea is that these themes are gradually placed for the students in specific situations where they understand how to use and what the importance of money is, as well as knowing that it is important to save. This will create financial awareness from an early age” , says professor Luís Carlos Beltrami, dean of Marketing, Sales and Relations at the Universidade Tiradentes (Sergipe Unit).
A more aware population makes better economic choices, i.e. manages its money with the aim of being able to save so that the savings can be used in the future. From the moment you know something new and start dealing with it on an almost daily basis, it becomes something common. In the future, these guys will be able to better manage their finances”, concludes Beltrami, noting that there are still no actual results from the introduction of the subject in BNCC, as it is recent, but these gains will be felt more in the coming decades.
Website: https://pe.unit.br/
Source: Terra
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