Initiatives to Advocate for Financial Literacy Across the UK

Campaign to Make Financial Education a Core Subject | #MakeFinEdCore

Elevating Financial Education to Core Subject Status – Same Rigour, Standards, and Priority as Foundational Subjects

The National Financial Educators Council partners with educators, organisations, and policymakers across the UK and internationally to strengthen financial education systems and widen access to high quality learning. Our advocacy centres on one core objective: establishing financial education as a fundamental academic subject while raising standards and expanding opportunities for effective financial learning.

Throughout the history of modern schooling, financial education has seldom been afforded the same priority as other core subjects. In many regions across the UK and around the world, it remains underdeveloped – often lacking the academic rigour, structured curricula, qualified teachers, and accountability frameworks that define foundational subjects. Yet the financial choices young people make early in life – concerning education, employment, credit, and savings – carry long term consequences that shape their economic stability and overall well being.

Our Position

Financial education is essential. It is as important as any core subject and should be held to the same academic standards. Every student in the UK should leave school equipped to make informed, real world financial decisions that influence both their immediate circumstances and their long term future.

#MakeFinEdCore Campaign Objectives

Increasing Access to Financial Education

Interest in financial education continues to rise across the UK, yet many people still struggle to access consistent, high quality learning opportunities.

The NFEC aims to broaden access by working alongside educators, schools, community groups, employers, and policymakers to support the delivery of programmes that reach a wide range of learners. Particular attention is given to improving provision in schools, workplaces, and local communities, with a strong emphasis on young people and underserved populations.

By widening access to effective financial learning, the intention is to help more individuals build the knowledge, confidence, and practical systems required to strengthen their long term financial wellbeing.

Expanding Access

Raising Financial Education Standards

Improving outcomes involves more than offering occasional lessons or short term initiatives. High quality financial education should be grounded in a structured curriculum, delivered by well prepared educators, informed by evidence based practice, and supported by clear, measurable outcomes.

The NFEC champions stronger professional and instructional standards that place financial education on par with other established academic subjects. This includes promoting educator training and certification, competency driven curriculum design, performance based learning experiences, and robust evaluation systems that assess genuine real world financial impact.

Higher Standards

NFEC Graduate Spotlight

Sanja Trajkoski

Financial Services Professional & Financial Literacy Advocate – Ireland

Sanja Trajkoski is an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor℠. Sanja is an experienced auditor, and for the past decade she has dedicated her career to improving businesses compliance, workflow and processes through detailed audits and optimisation recommendations. I have always been interested in finance and I am passionate about helping others to manage their finances in a mindful, responsible and sustainable way. I opened my Instagram profile Mindful Finance Management as a way to share my knowledge and experience with others. My focus group are couples and parents. I believe that financial management is a crucial life skill that everyone should learn. I also believe that it is possible to lead a financially responsible life without sacrificing your happiness or your lifestyle. On my Instagram profile you have everything you need if you are looking to take control and manage your money better. From budgeting for couples to getting kids savvier on the subject of finance, I have it all covered. With your commitment, I can help you to make informed decisions in reaching your idea of financial success.

Sanja has been a member of the Viking Voices Toastmasters Club since 2016, and has been the president of her local club since 2019.

Join the Effort to Make Financial Education a Core Subject

Real change happens when people come together around a clear and important goal. The Make Financial Education a Core Subject campaign provides a unified vision for improving financial education in schools.

Whether you are an educator, parent, student, policymaker, or advocate, your voice matters. By supporting this initiative, you help send a powerful message: financial education is not optional – it is essential.

Sign the petition today and join the movement to Make Financial Education a Core Subject.

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Talk Money Week

United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Lead organization: Money and Pensions Service

Description:
Talk Money Week is one of the UK’s leading national financial capability campaigns. Led annually by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), it encourages people to discuss money openly to reduce stigma and improve financial wellbeing. Schools, employers, financial institutions, charities, local governments, and community organizations participate through workshops, campaigns, social media outreach, and educational activities focused on budgeting, debt, pensions, saving, and financial resilience. The campaign forms part of the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing.

Financial Education in Schools Programme

England

Lead organization: Young Enterprise (through Young Money)

Description:
Young Enterprise’s financial education work (formerly Young Money) advocates for stronger financial education in schools and delivers nationwide programmes, teacher training, curriculum resources, and financial capability campaigns. Its flagship initiatives include Your Money Matters, a free financial education textbook distributed to secondary schools, with advocacy focused on embedding high-quality financial literacy into formal education.

UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing

United Kingdom

Lead organization: Money and Pensions Service

Description:
The UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing is a national advocacy initiative aimed at improving financial capability across the population by 2030. It mobilizes charities, employers, schools, financial institutions, and governments to improve savings habits, debt resilience, and financial confidence. Financial education for children and young people is one of its core pillars, promoting systemic improvements in money education and capability.

Financial Education Recognition Scheme (FERS)

United Kingdom

Lead organization: Santander UK in partnership with Twinkl

Description:
The Financial Education Recognition Scheme encourages schools to deliver structured financial education by recognizing institutions that commit to teaching a minimum number of hours of money education annually. The programme includes classroom resources, lesson plans, and teacher support, helping schools embed financial capability into learning and advocating for broader adoption of financial literacy education.

Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (FLIC)

United Kingdom

Lead organization: FT FLIC

Description:
FT FLIC is a nationwide financial literacy advocacy initiative established by the Financial Times to improve financial capability across generations. It promotes money confidence through school engagement, volunteer ambassador programmes, learning resources, and public awareness campaigns aimed at addressing low levels of financial literacy in the UK.

Your Money Matters Campaign

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

Lead organization: Martin Lewis with Young Enterprise

Description:
Your Money Matters is a major financial education campaign that provides free textbooks and learning materials to UK secondary schools. Supported by consumer advocate Martin Lewis, the initiative aims to improve practical money skills among young people, covering budgeting, borrowing, student finance, insurance, and financial planning. The campaign advocates for universal access to financial education regardless of school type or region.

MoneySense

United Kingdom

Lead organization: NatWest Group

Description:
MoneySense is a long-running financial education initiative providing free financial literacy resources for schools, families, and young people. It focuses on budgeting, spending, saving, fraud awareness, and money confidence through classroom materials, games, and teacher support. The programme advocates for early financial education and practical money management skills.

Money Heroes Campaign

United Kingdom

Lead organization: Money and Pensions Service

Description:
Money Heroes is a financial education initiative designed for primary school children and families. It supports teachers and parents in building financial capability among young children through classroom activities and practical learning. The campaign promotes early intervention and lifelong money habits, particularly around saving, spending, and budgeting.

OECD/INFE Financial Literacy and Inclusion Work

United Kingdom

Lead organization: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development / International Network on Financial Education

Description:
The OECD’s International Network on Financial Education (INFE) supports UK financial literacy efforts through international benchmarking, policy recommendations, and comparative assessments of financial capability. UK institutions use OECD frameworks to guide advocacy, curriculum reforms, and national financial capability strategies.