A new profession enters the system: "We must also show the dark side"

The Ministry of Education is making financial literacy a compulsory subject in high schools starting this coming school year. The supervisor of the subject, Yifat Barosh, explains in an interview that the program, which began as a pilot over a decade ago, will include experiential learning of basic concepts, budget management, banking, investments, fraud detection, employee rights, and the impact of advanced technologies. The goal: imparting knowledge, skills, and attitudes for proper financial management, while reducing gender gaps.

The Ministry of Education is making financial literacy a compulsory subject in high schools in Israel starting this coming school year. In an interview with Maariv, Yifat Barosh, the central supervisor of the subject, explains that the program is not new — it began as a pilot over a decade ago, first in kindergartens, then in elementary schools and 10th grade. Now, for the first time, it has been decided to make it a compulsory subject. The plan includes training approximately 1,300 teachers in stages, starting last May. Studies will be conducted in an experiential, practical, and relevant manner, incorporating digital tools, simulations, and community learning. Students will learn basic principles of money and savings, interest and inflation, budgeting, the world of banking, savings and investment channels, risk and fraud detection, digital currencies, and regulation. Topics from the world of work will also be included: employee rights, pay slips, youth employment laws, and the impact of technology. Barosh emphasizes that the goal is to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes for proper financial management, to reduce gender gaps in family money management, and to lessen the burden on Israeli society. The Bank of Israel is a partner in developing a digital learning module that will accompany the course.