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National | Matauranga

Education Ministry prepares Students for Life After School

A new Ministry of Education resource aims at calming the overwhelm and alleviating the stress that school leavers and their families experience.

Tested in Wellington, it is already yielding positive results.

Year 11 Wellington High School student Mātai Hume-Cook said, "It teaches awareness of some of the hardships in life after school".

Named the "School Leavers Toolkit" will help teachers to deliver financial literacy, civics education and key workplace competencies as part of the local curriculum for students from year 7 to 13.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins says, "If young people don't understand concepts like compound interest rates for example they'll get themselves into a lot of debt very quickly and it will take them a long time to get out of it".

Hume-Cook expanded "Its very accessible and the four main things which is tertiary education, finance, health and getting a job, and also moving out of home, are things that are not taught in schools".

Minister Hipkins finished, "This will give young people the opportunity to learn really important information about compound interest rates, things to look for when your opening a bank account or getting a credit card, things to look for when your signing up for flat, when you're signing a tenancy agreement".

More resources aimed at both teachers and students, including videos, lesson plans, and curriculum guides will be released in the coming months.