To baulk at the phrase 'achieve economic well-being' in the 'Every Child Matters' 5 outcomes?

[Druzhok]

WTF? I spotted this in an OFTSED report.

Dh (a teacher) tells me that the 5th of the Every Child Matters outcomes is to ensure that children and young people are supported to achieve economic well-being.

Or, as I read it, groomed to be little corporate drones.

Economic wellbeing! I don't like it at all!

The other 4, by the way, are:

?be healthy
?stay safe
?enjoy and achieve
?make a positive contribution

They ^ all seem great.

Economic wellbeing!!! I keep muttering it to myself and getting cross

It may be an odd phrase but I think the sentiment is perfectly sound. To encourage and enable children to achieve financial/economic wellbeing/independence is a good thing surely? After all, the alternative is financial/economic dependence, presumably on the state! It's important for children to be taught to be financially responsible as well as socially responsible.

yy toc

nail on head

Ok, so have taken the opinions on board: I can see the positives.

I suppose I was reading it 'economic wellbeing' as being a euphemism for affluence.

Druzhok - I did @ your 11.35 post.

I don't think giving lessons in basic personal finance would be a bad thing at all.

I think most of us on here are lucky that we know how to manage a budget, either because our parents taught us (well mine didn't - they were shite with money and still are), or we had the education/wherewithall to work it out for ourselves, or we had friends/other people to help us out

There are however many adults (many of who are parents) who don't have those skills, so can't pass them onto their children, and whose children aren't going to grow up with the same opportunities to learn as us. Parents can't teach them, school does't teach them, all mum and dad's friends are in the same position and can't teach them etc etc, and so the cycle continues.

I think personal finance lesson, especially surrounding household budgets are vital for children to learn. And indeed I have just started letting DS1 (9 1/2) sit with me when I do my monthly budget so he's starting to get an idea how to manage outgoings and income, and what blls need to be paid, and how to juggle money around if unexpected things arise.

track it back

People need to be literate and numeric to be able to participate as fully as possible in society, to achieve their potential

So it starts from even before before school; they need to learn how to control their bodies, because to hold a pencil takes a great deal of co ordination so lots of gross motor movements to develop muscle and control - if you have trouble writing then you may not be able to fully access learning straight from the off in Reception and become disengaged from learning

So yes economic well-being is a vital aspiration, supported from babyhood onwards

[ramblings]

sorry Litchick - x posted with your there.

I think the schools teaching children about money and how to manage it is vital if we want to create a better future for all children.

Litchick - I think it would be great if schools could leave things like this (and health, and keeping safe etc) to the family. And for many families that would be fine. But they have a responsibility to children who come from families where these things are not taught or "modeled". Families where financial health and bodily health are just not part of their lives. And so they have to cover them with all childrne, because they can't necessarily tell whether they are getting this important information at home. eg an apparently well-off family may be struggling financially because of uncontrolled debt etc, so you can't just assume it's only those who seem poor who aren;t learning this at home.

absolutely AMIS - my parents from the outside seemed to be doing ok financially from the outside - actually they were strugging with wildly out of control debt.

You only need to look here on MN for the threads (that usually create outrage from some people ) from people with decent incomes struggling with their finances and needing help to budget better.

With the young people that I work with we often put in bids for funding and grants. This covers the 'Economic Wellbeing' and 'make a positive contribution' outcome.

The young people have to find out costs of things, look at different suppliers for value for money,submit forms saying why they want to do a project and evaluate if they get the money with hard evidence of how the money was sent and how they benfitted from the funding.

Often the other outcomes can be met in the same bid.
EG a bid for funding to do a sporting project over 3 months therefore
Being Healthy -- doing the sport
Staying safe -- Having proper instruction to take part in the activity
Enjoy and achieve- Have fun and learn a new skill
Make a positive contribution-- Being part of a group of people that are putting a bid together and gathering information for the benfit of a larger group.
Economic Wellbeing-- applying for the grant.

That's not so bad is it?

oh sorry - this is a little OT - but it did make me laugh given the topic of discussion.

I've just turned round to see DS3 (just turned 3) sorting my wallet.......he took a £5 note out of the coins bit and said "this should be in here" and put it carefully with the other note in the notes bit.

See even he understands the importance of organising your money properly

Just to repeat, in case it got swallowed up: I really do support the idea of encouraging greater aspirations.

I was seeing it firmly from my own pov i.e. I don't want my son learning that he needs to earn £100k p.a. (or £14billion ... whatever it is by the time he's 20) to be a successful individual.

WIBU? Why, it seems I was ;)

LOL at LitChick saying the state is imposing its view by encouraging children to be healthy, safe, having fun, contributing and earning.

TOccatanfudge: send him here to sort out my credit cards, can you?

Bless you Druz, you wouldn't necceassarily know this unless you were involved in education in some way, I think

I only know it because I am a CM and abide by ECM

I feel very informed now, BoysAreLike Dogs!

god I love AIBU threads where the OP graciously turns round and changes tack (this is the 2nd one like it I've been on in a week!)

Druzhok,

The outcome 'achhieve ecomic wellbeing' covers a long range.

We can do this by helping young people with job interviews, getting them to work out budgets for when we go on residentials, letting them find out the cost of trips and how we can pay for it.
Other teachers and youth workers will incorporate these outcomes into their lesson plans/sessions without it being 'so in your face'

I'm not sure why you are so cross when all we are doing is trying to give young people a balanced and realistic approach to life whilst ofering them support to achieve these goals.

Sorry Druzhok, The thread had moved on while I was still typing!!!

Hope it makes sense what I was trying to say

upahill, Druz has accepted that she is BU

Schools imposing their views and values on children? When that view is that it better not to live in poverty or be unable to manage your own economic well being, I am surprised and somewhat appalled that anyone wouldn't want their children to be given such notions.

That in itself I have no issue with and of course do it myself.

I just wouldn't want the state telling me or my children how that was best achieved. The last admisnistration did a very poor job with its own finances and I'm not a fan of GO either.

But then I'm not a fan of the state telling me what to eat, how much to drink, how to be a good citizen or any of the stuff, that I see as the perserve of the family.
I try to keep a distance from the nannying if I can.

Litchick, i do get your point, but i think there are some basics that can be taught without too much controversy.

Well the basics like -everyone needs to earn money are fine. But how?
Will they then go on to say everyone should go to uni? Cos I have doubts that that will provide economic security for many.

Will they say everyone should get a pension - cos that aint working out so peachy is it?

Will they say you shouldn't borrow? Cos entrpreneurs will have to.

Will they say never get over drawn? Cos sometimes the rates are better if you do. Sometime sit's better for businesses if they are.

I dunno - I just have an allergy to state prescription.