Course Specification

Junior Cycle education places students at the centre of the educational experience, enabling them to actively participate in their communities and in society and to be resourceful and confident learners in all aspects and stages of their lives. Junior Cycle is inclusive of all students and contributes to equality of opportunity, participation and outcome for all.

The Junior Cycle allows students to make a greater connection with learning by focusing on the quality of learning that takes place and by offering experiences that are engaging and enjoyable for them, and relevant to their lives. These experiences are of a high quality, contribute directly to the physical, mental and social well-being of learners, and where possible, provide opportunities for them to develop their abilities and talents in the areas of creativity, innovation and enterprise.

The learner’s Junior Cycle programme builds on their learning to date and actively supports their progress in learning and in addition, supports them in developing the learning skills that will assist them in meeting the challenges of life beyond school.

Rationale

Money Matters contributes to building the skills and knowledge students will need to make informed decisions on their personal finances. The course is linked to Junior Cycle subjects, Business Studies and Home Economics and employs a key-skills (including literacy and numeracy) approach to learning about personal finance.

Money Matters will give all students, regardless of academic ability, the opportunity to build a healthy relationship with money, making sure that they manage and control their personal finances appropriately into the future.

The course provides students with opportunities to:

• monitor spending
• set personal money goals and to practice budgeting
• research, consider and compare common financial products and services
• consider saving and borrowing products and payment options
• consider the cost of credit and how to deal with debt
• consider the value of insurance and how to protect against common scams
• recognise different consumer rights to which they are entitled
• build confidence as responsible and informed consumers who know how to protect themselves financially

Money Matters fosters a practical approach to the acquisition of personal finance skills, employing methodologies such as quizzes, case studies, role play, pair and small group work. It is designed to resonate with and interest students and is underpinned by a reflective and action-orientated approach to the application of new knowledge and skills.

Aim

The short course ‘Money Matters’ aims to help students develop a healthy relationship with money, increase their financial capability and gain the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about their personal finances now and when they start earning/managing money into the future.

Links

Tables in the following pages show how Money Matters may be linked to central features of learning and teaching at Junior Cycle.