Financial education becomes mandatory in UK but Manx students lose access after funding ends
Thursday 06 November 2025
Financial education becomes mandatory in UK but Manx students lose access after funding ends
Financial education is set to become compulsory in all UK schools following an announcement today by the UK Government.
The UK reforms follow the findings of the government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review, launched last year by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The review highlighted financial literacy as one of parents’ biggest concerns and revealed that 71% of seven to seventeen-year-olds make online purchases without adult supervision.
For more than 12 years, Manx charity Junior Achievement delivered hands-on financial education across the Island’s secondary schools, helping students learn essential money skills including budgeting, saving, understanding credit and protecting themselves from scams and identity theft.
Over the last decade, ‘It’s All About Money’ taught financial skills to more than 10,000 students. The programme was praised by teachers and parents alike for preparing young people for real-world financial decisions.
However, following a major funding cut in 2022, Junior Achievement sustained delivery for a further three years using its reserves. This is no longer viable and the charity has put the programme on hold until an educational partner can be found.
Sue Cook, CEO of Junior Achievement, said: “It’s great to see financial education being recognised as essential in the UK. We have seen first-hand how valuable it is for young people to understand money early on. It’s disappointing that, at the same time, we have had to pause our work here due to funding challenges.”
Junior Achievement is now seeking a funding partner to reinstate the financial literacy programme in 2026.
Organisations interested in supporting this initiative can contact Sue Cook, CEO, at [email protected].
The charity continues to support 4,000 young people across primary and secondary education to help develop skills for the workplace.
