Financial Literacy Included in Qatar's Secondary School Curricula as an Elective Starting from Academic Year 2024-2025

Doha, December 20 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) announced the inclusion of the elective subject "Financial Literacy" in the curriculum for students in the eleventh and twelfth grades starting from the first semester of the academic year 2024-2025. This comes as part of the MOEHE's ongoing efforts to enhance students' financial knowledge and skills, expand their educational options, spread financial awareness among students, teach them the basics and concepts of economics and financial accounting to manage their money effectively, as well as enhance their ability to make proper investment decisions. The financial literacy subject is designed to be optional within a range of available subjects, reflecting the Ministry's commitment to providing comprehensive and integrated education that keeps pace with contemporary economic developments. The subject focuses on three basic areas: trade, real estate and investment. Students are expected to acquire multiple skills, including effective money management, making financial plans, and developing their own budget that helps them achieve financial goals efficiently. This would help establish a qualified and specialized cadre upon graduation, which in turn benefits the job market in the State of Qatar. Director of the Curriculum and Learning Resources Department of the MOEHE, Dr. Abdullah Al Marri said that the Ministry is working to enable teachers to teach financial literacy. The MOEHE will implement an integrated training plan to enable teachers to deal with curricula related to this field efficiently and competently. He added that teachers will receive training on how to use a teacher's guide for the financial culture that includes the latest strategies, teaching methods and helping tools, which will make it easier for the teacher to provide lessons. Dr. Al Marri also pointed out that there are specific assessment plans to measure students' knowledge of this subject, including assessments, written tests, homework, research projects, and presentations. These assessments help to measure their ability to apply this information in practical and realistic contexts. Since the subject is included in the student's grade, the student's performance will directly impact their final total grade, which indicates the importance of this subject and the need for students to take it seriously, he explained. The Director of the Curriculum and Learning Resources Department of the MOEHE added that the Financial Literacy curriculum is closely aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030 objectives, especially with regard to promoting environmental and social sustainability. It focuses on responsible consumption and ethical investment, effectively enhancing awareness of financial decisions. In addition, it plays an important role in establishing social cohesion, supporting inclusive growth, and building a balanced society characterized by a sustainable and prosperous economy. This initiative is a cooperation between the MOEHE and the Qatar Association of Certified Public Accountants (QCPA). It aims to meet the needs of the job market and use advanced educational expertise to prepare content. The MOEHE provides various electives in various fields, such as arts, languages, business administration, computing and information technology, and earth and environmental sciences. This diversity of electives enables students to develop various skills and knowledge that help them adapt to the requirements of a changing world and contribute to achieving the overall goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. (QNA)