Tories call for free finance textbooks in Scottish schools

A scheme to provide free textbooks to schools on personal finance would boost education and help the economy further down the line, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

Shadow economy secretary Dean Lockhart wants to mirror a scheme in England which will see half a million books handed to schools there by September this year.

He said the initiative could be done in collaboration with business, and for limited Scottish Government funding would have a positive impact on youngsters.

South of the border, money-saving expert Martin Lewis – in partnership with education charities - has pledged £200,000 to help children learn about savings, insurance and debt.

And while personal finance does feature in the Curriculum for Excellence, it is hoped such a resource could help youngsters prepare for the real world, and also consider a career in business from an early stage.

Scottish Conservative shadow economy secretary Dean Lockhart said: “The nuts and bolts of education will always be the traditional subjects.

“But preparation for the real world is also essential, and that’s where this scheme could come into play.

“The wheels are already in motion south of the border, and we don’t want our youngsters to be left behind.

“It would not have to be overly expensive to provide these books, and could be done either in partnership with the business community or from Scottish Government funds.

“With more and more youngsters accessing information online, the cost of actually printing these books could be kept low too.

“It’s essential our young people learn about all aspects of personal finance.

“It will improve their own education, and might even help the wider economy further down the line with a generation of young people more knowledgeable about money and how to use it.”