Through UNICEF and its Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, on November 20, 1959, the date of its commemoration came into force annually in most countries. In Brazil, some decades before, an attempt was already being made to standardize a date for the little ones. On November 5, 1924, Decree No. 4867 established October 12 as the official date for the celebration of Children's Day in the country.
Although Brazil continues to combat problems eradicated in various parts of the world, such as exploitation through child labor and domestic violence, some actions related to education as a way to enable a sustainable cycle of moral and financial development over the years have been the subject of attention. One of them is the implementation of financial education for children in Brazil.
Before the pandemic began, the International Student Assessment Program (PISA), of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced that Brazilians' financial education level was below desirable in the period from 2015 to 2018. According to the Investor X-ray survey, conducted by the Brazilian Association of Financial and Capital Market Entities (AMBIMA), 62% of the Brazilian population was unable to save money in 2019, starting the year 2020 without any financial reserve. At the same time, according to data from Ibope Inteligência, only 21% of the country's Internet users received guidance on how to take care of their own money while still in childhood. Most of the interviewees who received basic notions of Finance report that this occurred later, 38% in adolescence and 14% in adulthood.
If we consider that after these researches, we are faced with a pandemic that is still on the path of eradication and has left serious consequences on the economy, the vision of the future seems discouraging. But with regard to education, one aspect allows us to think positively about a different future. This is because the Ministry of Education (MEC), in partnership with the Real Estate Securities Commission (CVM), is training, through a program to encourage financial education, 9th grade elementary and first grade high school teachers from municipal, state, and military public schools across the country. With free courses, through an online platform, professionals will have the knowledge to make topics such as financial planning, personal finance management, and investments part of the daily lives of children and adolescents. The goal is to train 500 thousand teachers over the next three years. In other words, financial education is now in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), providing for a minimum that must be taught in schools in the country, from early childhood education to high school.
Taking into account that, according to the Financial Education Association of Brazil (AEF-Brazil), one in three students learn to save money after participating in financial education projects, including the topic in schools means an advance for Brazil and a glimpse that in some years, our culture may differ from the current one and a seed for the reduction of social inequalities. Financial education for children is essential for new generations, especially considering the recent changes in the world of work, which imply the demands of people with safe and conscious decision-making.
In the midst of the pandemic, many children's actions were reported, bringing hope for a future of opportunities. According to B3, in one year the number of registered investors up to 15 years of age increased by 65.5%. The Stock Exchange has 10,210 accounts registered in the name of minors under 15 years of age, according to data from July of this year. Of the total, 5,693 are boys (R$ 1.57 billion) and 4,517 are girls (R$ 0.21 billion). Together, they invest R$ 1.79 billion in assets. These numbers show that financial education is taking shape in Brazil.
Children's financial education is responsible for creating generations concerned with economic development, which, when promoted, also positively interferes with sustainable development. Thinking about financial education is also thinking about developing ethical values and encouraging responsible choices.
TACTICCA - ALLINIAL GLOBAL values childhood and believes in the transformative power of children.
Happy Children's Day!
