A financial education course for all 4th graders: what is the “Educfi Passport”, which has become compulsory in middle school ?

750 000 élèves sont concernés par le module. ILLUSTRATION MIDI LIBRE – SYLVIE CAMBON

As part of financial education week, middle school students in 4th grade are invited to validate their "Educfi passport", at the end of a compulsory course on managing their money.

How to manage a budget ? What is a loan ? What does it mean to save ? These are some of the questions that 4th grade students are asked raised awareness this week, as part of financial education week, which takes place from March 18 to 22.

750,000 students concerned

On this occasion, middle school students are invited to complete a module entitled “Educfi Passport". Tested since 2019 in a few establishments and generalized for the first time this year to 750,000 students, the system designed by National Education in partnership with the Banque de France aims to raise awareness among young people about budget, spending and risks of scams.

It is also aimed at Segpa and 3rd year prep students, as well as those in the professional pathway on an experimental basis, specifies Le Parisien .

This compulsory two-hour course followed by an end-of-session test in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire can be set up by all teachers and staff of a school. It is based on a slideshow with examples taken from everyday life.

Introduction to financial management

The ministry sees this course as an introduction to financial management, "in a context where financial products and players have become more complex".

And if fourth grade students are targeted as a priority, "it’is just before the age when they will get their first pocket money , their first bank account, their first payment card ", estimates Marguerite Collignan de Durand, director of financial education at the Banque de France on France Inter.