New Brunswick election: Conservatives promise financial literacy curriculum – New Brunswick [Video]

The leader of New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservatives is promising to make financial literacy part of the school curriculum if his party wins the Oct. 21 election

Blaine Higgs campaigned Thursday in Fredericton when he made the announcement, saying he wants students to enter adulthood with a better understanding of how money works.

“We count on our education system to set our children up for success in life, giving them the skills they need to succeed … and understanding the basics of money is so important,” Higgs said in a statement.

Higgs, who is seeking a third term in office as premier, said it’s unacceptable that a growing number of youth don’t know how to open a bank account or create a household budget. The new curriculum, he said, would also teach students about debits, credits, interest rates, inflation, mortgages, leases, loans and RRSPs, among other things.

“Regardless of which career …