Solutions from Ukraine: Ukrainian schools introduce financial literacy lessons
Ukrainian schools will introduce financial literacy lessons this year as part of the curriculum.
Rubryka tells the details.
What is the problem?
Teenagers are not ready for financial challenges
The ability to effectively manage personal finances is essential in today's world. However, many teenagers lack basic financial skills, such as spending wisely, saving, and safeguarding their money from scammers.
Teenagers gain their first experience with money at school, when they begin to manage pocket money. If they do not receive the necessary knowledge about finances during this period, they may face difficulties in the future. To avoid this, the Ministry of Education of Ukraine has decided to introduce the course "Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy" as mandatory for students in grades 8-9 from 2025.
What is the solution?
Financial literacy in the school curriculum
Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, all Ukrainian high school students will study the basics of financial literacy. This will be an essential step in preparing young people for adulthood.
Why is it important? Financial literacy helps:
- to critically assess expenses;
- to avoid fraudulent schemes;
- to understand the principles of savings and investments;
- to make informed financial decisions.
Doctor of Economics Oleksii Plastun emphasizes that introducing financial literacy education from an early age acts as a "vaccination" against future financial mistakes. He believes that teenagers lacking foundational financial knowledge are more vulnerable to falling victim to scams.
How does it work?
In many countries, financial literacy is taught from the primary grades. For example:
- Great Britain, Germany, USA — a full-fledged educational course;
- Singapore — integrating financial skills into the school curriculum from the junior grades.
Ukraine is also implementing this experience within the framework of the National Strategy for the Development of Financial Literacy by 2030. One critical step was the creation of a modern textbook.
The Ranok Publishing House developed the textbook "Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy," co-authored by Oleksii Plastun. With over 20 years of experience in investments and trading, Plastun also serves as a financial market analyst.
What makes this textbook unique?
- Interactive learning methods: game scenarios, competitions, quizzes.
- Practical exercises and tasks for working in groups.
- Current topics, including digital payments and cryptocurrencies.
- Interesting facts, historical references, even memes that attract students to learning.
The new course will help students:
- understand the basics of economics and entrepreneurship;
- use banking products without risks;
- analyze financial offers and avoid fraud;
- learn to save and invest.
The Ministry of Education has already prepared teachers to instruct this subject in schools. The program aims to equip Ukrainian students with practical knowledge, helping them manage their finances confidently in the future.
Financial literacy in schools is not just another subject but an opportunity for students to learn how to make informed financial decisions, avoid mistakes, and build confidence in their own financial future.
For reference:
Teachers and parents regularly encounter the challenge of teaching children to manage money wisely. Verbal explanations often fall short compared to learning from personal experiences. The Ukrainian game "Life Capital" allows young people to make mistakes without real consequences, analyze them, and avoid repeating them in real life. Rubryka explored how this game promotes financial literacy among youth and highlighted its benefits. For more details, read our article, "Playing and spending money wisely: a game teaches children financial literacy."
According to reports, a key principle of restoration is "build better than before," with a strong emphasis on improving the energy efficiency of restored structures, many of which previously lacked such efficiency. However, does Ukrainian construction legislation mandate that restored buildings achieve energy efficiency? Rubryka uncovered the answer to this question through a study conducted by the Public Network Opora.
