Rejected petition: Make practical finance and tax education mandatory in secondary schools
Rejected on
We want the Department for Education to update the National Curriculum to include compulsory, practical lessons for secondary school students on how UK taxes work, how to navigate personal finance, and how to manage household budgets and debt effectively.
Millions of students leave UK schools knowing how to quote Shakespeare, but have zero understanding of how a paycheck, National Insurance, or income tax works. This leaves young people completely unprepared for adult life and vulnerable to financial crises and debt. Surveys show over 70% of young people want this change. We must stop prioritizing outdated academic topics over essential real-world survival skills. Teach us how to manage money before we are forced to pay taxes.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
We're not sure exactly how you would like the Government or Parliament to change the national curriculum.
Financial education is already included in the national curriculum for secondary schools, forming part of citizenship and maths. It requires pupils to be taught about topics such as budgeting, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions.
You can read more about this here: https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/financial-education-in-schools/
In addition, the Government has announced that financial education will become a mandatory statutory requirement in all state primary and secondary schools in England, starting in September 2028 as part of the national curriculum.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.