Bank on our kids

Learning about money is in pupils' best interests - and it's lots of fun. Rowena Orejana explains.
It's after lunch at Leabank Primary School in Manurewa. The sun plays hide-and-seek with the clouds while a cool wind blows.
Twenty six pupils sit around six tables in Room 17, their eyes are round and they can't stop grinning at Marisiale Tunoka's antics. He starts singing, "Baby, baby, baby, oh," and the 10-year-olds groan at the popular Justin Bieber song.
The ASB GetWise instructor is all jokes, high energy and pure fun, but there's also serious learning going on.
"It's part teaching and part theatre," says the curly-haired, stocky instructor. "It's teaching, but in a fun way."
GetWise is free for all primary schools, and offers interactive and energised workshops for children, based on material mapped to reflect several learning aims across the New Zealand National Curriculum.
With this session in Room 17, ASB Community Partnership has hit a milestone in its GetWise scheme, reaching 50,000 children in less than a year. Countrywide, the project, has reached 250 classrooms.
"It's really about teaching the children the basics about money. We realised that especially in these tough economic times, children need to have financial literacy," says Linley Wood, ASB chief community partnership officer.
"You'll find that in these classes there is no mention of our bank's name at all," she adds. Instead, the class is peppered with easy to remember slogans such as, "Start saving now", "Save my money" and "Spend some on you, but save some, too".
Within 45 minutes, Mr Tunoka has impressed on the young minds the importance of savings as well as the difference between saving in a piggy bank and saving in a real bank where their money can earn interest.
"Children like spending money. Everyone does. There is always a goal that they want to be saving for. And if they reach that goal, they're very proud of that," he says.
He also touches on the idea of budgeting. "It is teaching them the key way to make good choices in spending money. We give them the tools, interact in the classroom, portray the message in a way kids will be able to take on," says Mr Tunoka.
The programme has been developed by experts in education, cognitive development, instructional design and financial literacy. "We're thrilled that the programme has proven to be so successful," says Ms Wood who adds the bank is funding extending it to Year 7 and 8 students and doubling the number of instructors to six.
Mr Tunoka says the best part of the programme for him is making a real impression on the pupils. "Children remember you and what you told them."
Money talks
ASB also offers a senior school programme, called What Next, which covers basic financial skills and budgeting tools to Year 12 and 13 students preparing to leave school.