We’ve all seen those posts on the Internet – “I don’t know how to apply for a loan or do my taxes but at least I know how to do the Pythagorean Theorem.” The joke aims to prove school doesn’t teach kids information they can use in their adult lives.
In Alberta this is not the case. A mandatory class that must be taken while in high school is Career and Life Management (CALM).
According to a document about the CALM curriculum on Alberta Education’s website, the aim of senior high school CALM is to enable students to make well-informed, considered decisions and choices in all aspects of their lives and to develop behaviours and attitudes that contribute to the well-being and respect of self and others, now and in the future.
One of the three-credit course’s general outcomes is about resource choices.
“Students will make responsible decisions in the use of finances and other resources that reflect personal values and goals and demonstrate commitment to self and others,” states the document regarding CALM’s curriculum on Alberta Education’s website.
The class covers everything from budgeting, gaining credit, buying a house, applying for a loan, financing a vehicle, and much more. The high schools within Cochrane each have their own way of teaching the class.
According to Edward Yu with St. Tim’s School, the course is module-based and is taught online during students’ free time or spare period. Once the modules are completed by the students, they are turned in for grading to the designated teacher. Financial learning starts in Grade 9 at St. Tim’s with the students attending a full-day financial literacy seminar at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Then in Grade 10 or 11, depending on the students’ class schedule, the students complete the CALM course.
According to Marsha Williams-Day, with Bow Valley High School, their school has broken up the modules of the CALM course and integrated them into the students’ core subjects from Grades 9-11.
This means the financial aspects of the CALM curriculum are taught within the students’ mandatory math classes. They choose what aspect is taught with what math class based on the grade and when the kids are developmentally ready and able to understand the subject. They also have financial specialists visit the classes to deliver presentations to the students in order to incorporate the real-life applications.
For Cochrane High School, CALM is it’s own designated class. Students can choose to take it in either Grade 10 or Grade 11 and the class works through the curriculum together like any other core subject.
According to Sandy Green, with Cochrane High School, the class tackles large assignments including one called the Moving Out Assignment. Students must hypothetically plan out their lives after high school including: getting a full-time job, budgeting, living in their own place and supporting themselves.
Before this assignment is taken on, the class has presentations from financial professionals.
The class also role-plays, being loan officers, and determines whether assigned characters would be approved for a loan or not.
So while each school’s method varies, the subject of financial literacy is well-covered in all of them thanks to CALM class. It is then up to the student after high school to retain and use the knowledge provided.
