schulgold 
The 38th meeting of the Children’s Commission on June 12, 2024 dealt with the important topic of economic and financial education for children and young people in Germany. To this end, experts Karolina Decker and Babett Mahnert, founders of Schulgold, were invited to share their experiences and insights.
It was a public expert discussion with three experts: Dr. Donate Kluxen-Pyta from the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), Babett Mahnert and Karolina Decker, co-founders of Schulgold, an organization that offers interactive financial workshops for children, young people and parents.
At the meeting, Decker and Mahnert emphasized how important it is to develop an understanding of money and finance at a young age. They reported on the great demand for financial education among children and young people and called for the topic to be integrated into school lessons at an early age. Specifically, they recommended starting the topic from the seventh grade and emphasized the importance of teaching financial knowledge in a practical and playful way. They cited examples from their workshops and referred to studies that confirm young people’s desire for financial education at school.
The experts from Schulgold also presented their innovative concept of interactive financial workshops, with which they have already reached thousands of pupils. They emphasized that financial education should not only impart in-depth knowledge, but above all teach practical financial skills for everyday life in a fun way.
The third expert, Dr. Kluxen-Pyta from the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations, emphasized the importance of economic education as part of general education and advocated for a school subject in economics, or at least a mandatory, interdisciplinary curriculum. She highlighted the positive experiences in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, where such subjects have already been introduced. She also emphasized the importance of cooperation between schools and companies and the promotion of entrepreneurial thinking among young people. Gender equality, international exchange and sustainability are further aspects that should be integrated into economic education.
In the ensuing discussion, questions were raised about the implementation of financial education in schools, the role of parents, and the importance of financial knowledge for avoiding debt and poverty in old age. The need to raise public awareness of financial education and to persuade politicians to take appropriate measures was also pointed out.
The meeting of the Children’s Commission clearly showed that the topic of financial education has arrived in politics and that there is a broad consensus that more needs to be done to prepare young people for the financial challenges of life.
Original sources:
- Live recording available on YouTube
- The verbatim report is available here
- As well as our blog article “Schulgold goes Bundestag” with quotable material
Image material:
(Screenshots of the video. If you need better resolution, please contact us)
For interview requests and the like,
- message the founders directly via the contact page
- or reach out to them on Linkedin: Babett Mahnert / Karolina Decker
About Schulgold:
Schulgold was founded almost 5 years ago by Babett Mahnert and Karolina Decker, initially as a volunteer initiative. Since then, over 260 workshops have been held with thousands of students taking part. In 2024, the initiative became a company that continues to aim to integrate financial education into the everyday lives of young adults, teenagers and children as early as possible.
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