Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 17: In a significant move, the state government has ordered the introduction of financial literacy education for students from classes 8 to 12 in 956 schools, including Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), for the current academic year.
The initiative aims to educate hundreds of thousands of students on banking, digital transactions, stock market operations, and financial fraud prevention. The state project directorate has directed the implementation of this programme across 307 functioning KPS and other schools developed with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The programme is being rolled out under the central government's innovation project (PAB) scheme for 2026-27. A total grant of Rs 47.80 lac has been allocated, providing a unit cost of Rs 5,000 per school. The state project director has instructed all district deputy directors and block education officers to ensure its effective execution.
Designed to instill practical life skills, the curriculum focuses on early-stage personal finance management, banking systems, and investment strategies. Students will learn about budgeting, the importance of savings, digital payments, responsible borrowing, insurance, taxes, and ways to prevent financial fraud.
To achieve these goals, schools are mandated to conduct at least one student-centric activity every month. Educational institutions will coordinate with banks, financial institutions, chartered accountants, financial advisors, and entrepreneurship development centres to host interactive awareness sessions.
Capital market education forms a core part of the syllabus, introducing students to shares and trading. Where feasible, schools have been advised to organise educational visits to the Bengaluru Stock Exchange or similar financial hubs to provide practical exposure to market operations and financial systems.
Additionally, teachers will conduct budgeting exercises, simple interest calculations, mock banking activities, and practical demonstrations of UPI and ATM usage. Poster-making and quiz competitions on savings and startup concepts will also be organised. At the end of the academic year, teachers are required to conduct a knowledge assessment on financial literacy and submit the results to the respective block-level officers.