From the 50 states of America, 43% of Americans are considered financially illiterate. However, this rate in one of the richest countries in the world creates the question of whether or not the United States is doing enough. We all know the reason why financial literacy is important; once you are an adult, you must know how to pay your taxes, divide your salary, invest in life long insurances, and so on. But today, we’re in a crisis: our country is failing our current and possibly even our future generations. We are constantly denying the importance of providing personal finance classes in the first place and instead, we require high schools to teach their students a repetitive and unhelpful health curriculum.

So how can we change this broken system?

To find solutions, we first have to look at the root of this issue. We expect high schoolers to understand how to manage their money as college students or as adults in general, but with what help? None. They are not only hit with a reality check, but they also have to take on countless other tasks on top of attending college. Some of which include the challenges that come with job applications, taxes, and making their own doctor appointments without the help of their parents. Meanwhile, the education that is supposed to help graduates on adulting isn’t provided for them.

Thankfully though, we find some hope through recent years as increasing amounts of schools have finally decided to introduce finance classes to their students. Whether it be personal finance, economics, marketing or computer applications, more of these types of classes are provided into their curriculums. Students are gaining chances to prepare for their futures and the necessities that come with being a college student and adult. But here is where the problem lies: there is no guarantee that students will even want to take these classes. Rather, it becomes just a formality to include these classes as options. Our generation of students would much rather choose an easy “A” class than choose a difficult but more engaging class like finance. This is exactly where we need to do better; without assurance that students will be taking these classes, we lose the chance to become financially literate. Future generations are set up for failure because most of us are unaware of the way our economic system works and those who are controlling it.

A prime example is on September 30th, 2023, when our federal government was planned to shut down. Except hours before that day came, the Senate was able to pass a last-minute bill to keep our government open for the next 45 days. 13,000 air traffic controllers, 50,000 transportation security officers, and thousands of other employees would show up to work without real pay or income or just lose their job for the time being. This shutdown could have put countless workers in peril as they would’ve lost their ability to not only provide for themselves, but to also provide for their families. I never knew this until I was on my phone scrolling through the internet. At first, my immediate thoughts were, what even is a government shutdown? What’s even happening? Is this going to affect my own life? After two years of high school, I’ve learned more about the Pythagorean theorem than the world’s economic system. This is even more evident in the conversations I have with my friends. After texting them about how there was a government shutdown, one friend replied with “WHAT”, another texted “Huh”, and another asking for an “Explanation please.” We were completely unaware of the consequences that the shutdown could have had on our economy and the workforce that many students are a part of.

At the same time, our so-called “leaders” today show little to no effort in making real progress. The next time a major event impacts our work force and the economy, we won't understand or even be aware of it all over again. That is, unless we establish this education on finance and emphasis on current events. After all, how are we supposed to understand the effects of these types of scenarios when we are left in the dark?

As of this year, Next Gen Personal Finance shows that only 23 states guarantee a required semester-long finance course before graduation. In comparison to the mere six states in 2019, it is a drastic improvement. It shows how schools are slowly working towards making these classes available. However, this number isn’t even half of the states in America and the problem begins to grow beyond education; our values become questioned.

If we value sex education and the basics of poetry, then why not value how to use your money? Our generation has tirelessly perfected the ability to complete an exam in under three hours, yet we still don’t understand the difference between a checking account and a savings account. The more we dismiss real-life skills and knowledge in American schools, the harder it becomes for students to face reality in the future.

Today I wonder:

what will my future look like? Will I become another broke college student in debt? How will I do my taxes? Can I live being financially liberated?