Monday, 17 March marks the beginning of the tenth edition of Money Week. This anniversary edition sets a record, with more than 170,000 pupils registered to participate. European Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque and Deputy Prime Ministers David Clarinval and Jan Jambon will attend the celebratory opening. On this occasion, the FMSA will present the results of its study on ‘Young people want to learn more about money’ and its future initiatives.
Record number of pupils participate
The Belgian Money Week, which takes place this year from 17 to 21 March, is an annual thematic week organized by Wikifin, the FSMA’s financial education programme. During Money Week, the FSMA seeks each year to provide opportunities to talk about money matters as widely as possible and to devote extra attention to the importance of financial education.
In the course of Money Week, a total of more than 170,000 elementary and secondary school pupils will participate in a variety of activities. That is a record, and represents an increase of 45,000 over last year.
In elementary schools, pupils learn by playing the successful board games ‘The ABCs of the Budget’, ‘The Budget Game’ and ‘Just’in Budget’ how to manage a budget and that one euro can be spent only once. Many FSMA staff members go into the schools during Money Week to lead one of these games in class.
In secondary schools, pupils compete with each other in the Wikifin Quiz, which tests their knowledge of topics like budget management, saving money, means of payment, and fraud. Wikfin is launching a new online game, also for secondary school pupils, called ‘Talking Money’, in which pupils familiarize themselves in a fun way with financial concepts.
European Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque and Deputy Prime Ministers David Clarinval and Jan Jambon to open the anniversary edition
In order to lend greater visibility to the anniversary edition of Money Week, the event will have a celebratory launch on 17 March in the Wikifin Lab, the FSMA’s financial education centre in Brussels. European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union Maria Luís Albuquerque and Deputy Prime Ministers David Clarinval and Jan Jambon will open the anniversary edition. The winners of the Wikifin Challenge, a competition for secondary schools, will receive their prize personally from the Commissioner.
Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union: “Financial literacy is a key priority of my mandate under the umbrella of the Savings and Investments Union (SIU). Drawing inspiration from good examples when designing financial literacy strategies will help us go further. In this regard, initiatives like Wikifin and Belgian Money Week stand out as positive examples, offering valuable lessons for all Member States to learn from. Knowledge is power and the key for the freedom to make informed choices about our finances.”
David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Employment, Economy and Agriculture: “Financial education is an essential lever for a strong and balanced economy. By providing citizens with the tools to understand, anticipate, and make informed financial choices, we strengthen their autonomy and their ability to act. I welcome the initiatives that the FSMA has been undertaking for several years to raise public awareness and provide the necessary tools for responsible financial management.”
Jan Jambon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finances and Pensions: “A good understanding of savings, pension funds, investments, dividends, interest rates, profits, losses, and so on is important to protect young people, especially vulnerable ones, against the increasing risks of advertising, social media, and scams. Financial literacy is crucial for young people who have to make ends meet on a limited budget. Where wrong or risky decisions often have very serious consequences. The Arizona government's coalition agreement highlights this ambition. I look forward to working with FSMA to further improve the financial literacy of our population with initiatives such as the Belgian Money Week.”
Jean-Paul Servais, FSMA Chairman: “Over the past ten years, more and more youngsters between 6 and 18 years of age have been taking part in the Money Week activities. This record edition, with more than 170,000 pupils registered, confirms that increasing numbers of teachers are making use of the Wikifin materials and that financial education is attracting ever more interest. The FSMA will, in the years to come, continue along this path and expand its pioneering work in the area of financial education, with increased attention devoted in particular to the 18-25 age group.