ONE of the most important life skills that students should learn at a young age is financial literacy. Growing up with sound financial practices helps students grow up to be responsible decision-makers, disciplined savers, and financially resilient adults. Since values, attitudes, and habits are formed during the formative years, elementary schools are perfect places to introduce practical financial education. Teaching students the value of budgeting, saving, and prudent spending helps them grow personally and gets them ready to be responsible citizens.
Project PESO (Promoting Early Savings Ownership), a school-based financial literacy intervention based on the National Teachers and Employees Cooperative Bank (NTECB) Kiddies Savers Program, is suggested as a solution to this issue. Lessons on financial literacy in the classroom, the development of values, parental participation, savings campaigns, classroom monitoring, incentive systems, and collaborations with NTECB are all integrated into this project. Through these well-planned exercises, students will gain the discipline and accountability required to become lifelong savers in addition to their understanding of financial concepts.
Specifically, the project aims to: develop learners’ awareness of responsible money management and financial habits; encourage regular saving behavior among learners; integrate financial literacy concepts into classroom instruction and co-curricular activities; strengthen partnership among schools, parents, communities, and partner institutions in supporting learner financial capability; and promote values formation aligned with DepEd’s Revised K to 10 Curriculum agenda and lifelong learning goals.
Project PESO is expected to enhance learners others knowledge, skills, attitudes, not only the value of savings. It is expected to establish more time for learners to communicate with parents in the concerns with their savings deposit. This project is also expected to contribute to the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting financial literacy, responsible financial behavior, quality education, and partnerships among schools, families, and financial institutions.
Anchored on Republic Act No. 10679, an Act Promoting Entrepreneurship and Financial Education Among Filipino Youth, it is expected that this project will make young learners enhance their financial literacy, savings, and financial management as and be considered as foundational competencies among young Filipinos.
