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A Māori economist has welcomed Labour’s plan to make financial literacy part of the core curriculum.
Matt Roskruge from Massey University says young Māori and Pasifika are particularly vulnerable to debt traps and not understanding financial contracts.
He says understanding the basics of financial literacy will also put them on a career fast track if they include finance and economics in their university studies.
“I’ve had some that have got jobs in their second year at uni. Because there’s just so much demand for Māori that are able to do things like manage housing investments, or do project management… it’s competitive! So we just can’t get them to stay on and do their masters,” Professor Roskruge says.
He says traditionally settler-descended families have encouraged or taught their children financial literacy – which has given them huge advantages in life.
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