ASB Offers Free Financial Literacy Programme to 250,000 Primary School Students Over Next 5 Years

• 50,000 pupils a year targeted for new financial literacy programme
• Non-commercial programme delivered free by independent facilitators
• Assistance for primary schools to deliver to new national standards

ASB today announced a long term multi-million dollar commitment to help raise financial literacy to new levels for New Zealand primary school students. 

From the beginning of the 2010 school year, the bank responsible for introducing school banking to New Zealand 83 years ago, is further strengthening its commitment to financial education by making available to primary schools a free, world-class financial literacy programme. 

Called GetWise, the new programme aims to help primary schools to deliver the financial literacy component of the Ministry of Education’s new national standards being introduced in 2010.  

“The imperative to improve the level of financial literacy in New Zealand has been recognised for some time now,” says ASB Chief Executive, Charles Pink. “The world of finance has become even more complex in recent times, so there is more need than ever for New Zealand children to be given the opportunity to learn simple but effective money management skills at an early age. 

“The new national standards for 2010 appropriately include an emphasis on financial literacy.  The GetWise programme will provide the bridge for schools to deliver to those standards.”

GetWise is based on a highly interactive workshop model developed specifically for New Zealand primary school children.  It is delivered by independently trained, world-class facilitators working with students in the school classroom.  This direct learning model means that teachers will not need to leave their class for the day to be trained themselves to deliver this learning. 

The workshop content is entirely non-commercial and is designed in collaboration with leading experts in primary education, financial literacy and cognitive development. 

Through the facilitators, GetWise aims to inspire and engage students by making basic financial skill learning exciting, relevant and, ultimately, memorable.  After the workshop is delivered resource kits are left with the teacher containing future lesson plans so they can continue to weave relevant financial literacy messages throughout the school curriculum. 

“Our objective has been to offer a flexible financial literacy programme that will assist teachers as they work to deliver to the new national standards, while also providing them with the support they need in terms of future resources and lesson planning,” says Mr Pink.

“For more than 80 years ASB’s school banking programme has touched thousands of schools and millions of Kiwi children.  We currently have over 450 schools and 20,000 school children enrolled in our school banking programme.  Close to a thousand New Zealand schools are also doing their own banking with us. 

“ASB has been involved in financial literacy programmes in schools for many years.  We already deliver a senior school programme, entitled What Next, which covers basic financial skills and budgeting tools for Year 12 and 13 students leaving school and moving onto new challenges.  Over 8,500 students from 127 schools took advantage of this programme over the past year. Our 9 year partnership with the Young Enterprise Trust’s enterprise and ASB SmartStart programmes also reflects our strong commitment to help equip New Zealand’s young people with the life skills they need as they move into adulthood. 

“We are very excited about the launch of GetWise.  It is definitely the next step up in financial literacy learning and through our long-term commitment to this new skills programme we aim to help primary school teachers to make a positive difference for at least 50,000 primary school children a year.” 

Ends

For more information about GetWise, including school bookings for next year’s workshops, please visit www.getwise.co.nz

Released on behalf of ASB by Network PR, contact Clare England on (09) 306 5808 or 021 615 915, clare.england@networkpr.com

For further information, please contact Linley Wood, Chief Community Partnership Officer, ASB. Ph: 021 2212121.