Money Ethics

Some educationalists advise that secondary school students should learn a bit about money ethics and management. Do you agree? Write an article expressing your views on the topic.

The prosperity of Hong Kong has reached to a level that youngsters seldom find not enough pocket money. They even take it for granted without knowing how hard their parents earn. A kid is, of course, too young to grasp the real meaning of money. But there is more reason to believe that secondary students are mature enough to learn something related to money ethics. Actually, it is good to give students a chance to manage the personal finance, as a kind of training.

By instilling correct concepts of money use, we can help students develop a better spending habit. The lack of self-control over consumption will only make youngsters have unlimited desire for everything. We have to assist them in identifying what needs are genuine to them, so that they will not be negatively influenced by materialism. As financial discipline constitutes a key part of personal development, it is essential for secondary schools to include some teaching material about money ethics.

As far as money management is concerned, youngsters should be trained to have a good planning for everything, especially the money matter. The main objective is to encourage them not to spend as much pocket money as possible. Saving is a virtue that cannot come up by instinct. It can foster only when students have developed a strong sense of budget control. The corresponding management skills allow students to have a surplus of money to cope with any unforeseeable adverse events in future. It is a kind of financial independence that students should learn.

More importantly, money ethics and management are crucial for youngsters’ grown-up. It is well-known that after students have entered the university, various credit lines are offered to them such as use of credit cards. If youngsters don’t keep a tight rein on expenditure, they will run into financial problems more easily. The fact that university graduates are so deeply in debt has proven how imminent the need of our youngsters to learn about the terrible outcome from inadvertent use of money.

Secondary students should adopt a serious attitude towards money and we should not let them take and spend money easily without any accountability. Youngsters should be prepared for financial responsibility and cautioned against materialism from an early age. Before we shove them out into the world, we had better implant the way of good use of money into their brains.