Parents can’t be only ones to teach our children about finance

Some people oppose school-based financial education because they believe teaching kids about money is the parents’ responsibility ― and frankly, it should be. But what about the kids whose parents or guardians don’t have the personal finance skills or experience to adequately instruct their children? Where can they go to learn the basics of personal finance?

As we have increasingly turned our attention toward improving financial equity and inclusion, school-based financial education will play an important role in leveling the playing field for future generations of American consumers, particularly those students growing up in historically underserved communities. By introducing these students to a financial system they may not have previously been exposed to, giving them reliable information, and offering them a chance to develop critical thinking skills, we can help prepare them to make smart financial decisions throughout their lives.

Public support is widespread. Eighty-eight percent of adults in a recent survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education said their state should require either a semester or year long financial education course for graduation, and 80% wished they had been required to take a semester or year-long course during high school.

More states are adding requirements, with Georgia earlier this week becoming the latest to mandate a personal finance course in high school. In March, Florida became…