In a revolutionary move that is sure to enrich secondary education, all North Carolina high schools are mandating that students take a personal finance course in order to graduate.
The State Board of Education approved the Senate Bill 580 proposal pushed by state lawmakers.
Craig Horn, Union County Representative and Republican, is one of the state lawmakers that advocated to have the finance course a mandatory part of the high school curriculum.
The current course plan for graduation requires students to take two American History classes, American History: Founding Principles, World History and Civics and Economics.
The personal finance course will take the place of an American History class requirement.
Some of the information that students will learn in the class include understanding checkbooks, credit scores, home mortgages, college tuition, auto loans and 401ks.
The change comes at a good time when many are questioning whether general education courses are helpful in real life.
Unfortunately for many people, they find out sooner than later that most of their education has nothing to do with their actual jobs or life skills.
This realization matters even more in college, where students are finding themselves in unsurmountable debt for an education that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a job in the field of their academic specialty.
Life skills education should begin in middle school. Students should have the option to take courses in personal finance, digital technology, emotional intelligence, politics, entrepreneurship and do-it-yourself fields, such as mechanics, law and personal health.
There’s no room for passive aggressive general education in an aggressive and fast-moving world.
