Financial education a key focus in refreshed national curriculum
30 April, 2025
To empower all students to take control of their financial futures, financial education will be included in the updated social sciences and Te Ao Māori areas of the national curriculum for students in Years 1-10 Education Minister Erica Stanford announced today.
Transforming financial education in schools (Beehive.govt.nz)
A draft of the updated social sciences learning area and the Te Ao Māori wāhanga ako will be available in Term 4, 2025 for feedback before updated versions are available for schools and kura to use in 2026. This content will become required teaching in 2027.
Financial maths has also been included in the new mathematics & statistics and Pāngarau curriculum being delivered this year.
Integrating essential financial concepts into the national curriculum will help to equip students at every stage of their learning journey with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to make informed financial decisions, positively impacting both their lives and New Zealand’s economy.
The updated curriculum content will support younger students to build important foundations such as being able to identify needs versus wants and how to manage a bank account, earnings, spending and saving. Older students will have the opportunity to build on this on their education journey, learning about budgeting, investment, interest, taxes and insurance to build lifelong financial skills.
To support the implementation of financial education in the new curriculum, a variety of tools and resources, developed in collaboration with financial organisations, banks, and charitable trusts, will be available to schools and kura, ensuring they can effectively deliver the curriculum.
A new partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Retirement Commission will map the offerings from financial education providers against the updated curriculum. The Retirement Commission’s work with providers will ensure consistent curriculum-aligned supports and resources, giving schools and kura confidence in their delivery.
This resource map will be extended into senior secondary years with guidance and resources for Year 11-13 students, supporting schools to flexibly deliver ongoing financial education to their students.
The strengthened focus on financial education across the national curriculum, alongside the partnership between the Ministry and Commission, marks a significant step forward in New Zealand’s education system, responding to interest from parents and young people for financial education to be a priority.
