The Government of Saskatchewan is implementing a Financial Literacy 10 course that will be required for high school graduation. MLA and Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill says the decision to implement the course was a result of input from students, families, educators, and indiviuals in the business sector.
“The addition of financial literacy was feedback that we received directly from the Youth Council, which is a group of high school students from around the province that we pull together every single year to gather feedback on how education in Saskatchewan is working. This is really a great opportunity for kids to be better prepared once they graduate high school for just the realities of life that they're heading into.”
Finacial Literacy is an existing course at the 10, 20, and 30 levels, the 10 level has simply been made a requirement. Cockrill says they plan to make sure the course will cover the base level information.
“We want students to finish this required credit with a base understanding of what they're going to need to manage their financial affairs going forward in their lives. Whether they grow up and they're making a lot of money or a little bit of money, we want students to be able to know how to live within their means.”
Professional development sessions were held to aid in implementing the program; there are also resources available for teachers' reference within the Saskatchewan Distance Learning centre. Cockrill notes these courses have been taught throughout the province for many years.
“There are teachers out there with, I would say, a significant amount of experience in this space and certainly an opportunity for teachers to lean on each other and learn from best practices that have already been used out there.”
He emphasizes the intent to make transitioning from education to the work force easier, and instilling skills to manage income, payments, and expenses.
“We want Saskatchewan students to graduate high school with that knowledge that they're going to be able to manage their own personal financial resources so that they can in turn support their families and support their communities. That's really what this is all about.”
The program has already been implemented for the 2024-25 school year, the Ministry of Education plans to have the final version of the course available by the beginning of 2026.
“This is just all about supporting the young people in our province to make responsible financial decisions so they can contribute to the growth of this province.”