At Kiwibank we’re pretty passionate about making sure all Kiwi kids are prepared for the financial world ahead. That’s why we have been working with Banqer for the last few years to enable classrooms to access the platform for free. In 2018, Banqer has been in 2,100 classrooms and in 2019 we’re increasing that to 3,300 classrooms that will be able to use Banqer’s digital teaching tool at no cost.
Banqer transforms classrooms into a virtual economy. Teachers set up a currency and facilitate real-life situations over the course of the school year to enable students to learn about growing money, debt, interest, tax, KiwiSaver and insurance. The programme is aligned with the New Zealand curriculum and designed by teachers for teachers and students.
Financial literacy is a huge issue in New Zealand. There is a generation of Kiwi school leavers telling us they feel they have missed out on exactly this sort of real-life financial learning.
There is nothing else that measures up to the impact Banqer has for Kiwi kid’s improved understanding of money.
Through the Banqer programme we’ve seen a great improvement in student’s money behaviours from the start of the programme to once completed. These attitudes and positive money behaviours will benefit students for the rest of their lives.
The platform has an average of 26,412 transactions per day, $302m is currently invested in KiwiSaver, 15,693 properties have been purchased and 14,494 job vacancies have been filled by Banqer students. On top of the universal income 45% are earning wages, 20% of students are making voluntary mortgage payments when they have a surplus of cash, 47% are actively looking at interest rates and moving money about to grow their wealth.
More than 60,880 Kiwi kids are currently engaging in robust financial education by partnering with Banqer, Kiwibank is ensuring that more kiwi kids gain confidence and learn about money in an authentic and fun way.
Co-founder and CEO of Banqer Kendall Flutey said: “It makes me extremely proud more than 60,000 Kiwi kids now have regular access to financial education but knowing with Kiwibank’s support we can educate an additional 30,000 students this coming year is even better. At that point we’re at a scale where financially capable kids will really make a difference to New Zealand’s economy into the future."
Over the past two years, Banqer has grown exponentially. More than 100,000 children have used the programme and it is now in one of every four New Zealand schools.
New functionality has been added – from term deposits to charitable giving and parents can now see what their children are learning through the parent portal.
Find out how you can get Banqer’s interactive financial literacy programme into a classroom you care about at banqer.co.
