Experian launches innovative new teaching resource for Irish primary schools

Dublin, 22 May 2014 – Ireland’s first free online teaching resource designed to help primary school pupils explore both practical and emotional issues around managing money has been launched by Experian, the global information services company which is headquartered in Dubli n.

Values, Money and Me has been designed to resemble a children’s picture book and explores key issues such as earning money, budgeting and saving, through a range of engaging activities, based on a series of interactive stories.

To mark the launch, Taoiseach Enda Kenny was joined by children from Our Lady Immaculate School SNS, Darndale who helped pilot the resource in Ireland.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said:
“Our Lady Immaculate School, Darndale is very progressive in using interactive online resources to make learning fun for their pupils. I congratulate the school and Experian, who have developed this free online resource to help teach basic financial skills to young people in primary schools, which will stand to them throughout their lives”.

Using Values, Money and Me, children explore the sometimes complex, emotional and moral challenges that we all deal with in relation to money, through a wide range of real-life situations.

Each story provides the starting point for delivering between two and four lessons in each unit, exploring the issues raised by the characters. The lessons, along with associated online activities and sheets for each story, are presented along with ideas for the family to get involved with the children’s learning.

Declan Murphy, Commercial Director of Experian Ireland, explains:
“At Experian, we see every day how a lack of basic financial skills can impact on a person and the choices they make. This is why financial education and literacy is a key pillar of our corporate responsibility programme. Values, Money and Me is the latest free resource we have developed to help people of all ages make better financial decisions. This resource has been very successful in the United Kingdom since it launched last year and we’re now delighted to bring Values, Money and Me to primary schools in Ireland where we hope it will make a lasting contribution to developing good financial habits among our young people.”

A recent survey¹ showed although 80 per cent of primary school pupils receive pocket money, some believe the term relates to money to buy new pockets for clothes. Values, Money and Me brings to life for children the world of money, how it affects them and others and how they can take responsibility for managing their own money equipping them with valuable life skills.

Over the six months leading up to today’s launch, the resource has been piloted by teachers and pupils of Our Lady Immaculate Senior National School in Darndale.

Derry Amphlett, Principal of Our Lady Immaculate SNS, comments:
“Values, Money and Me is a fantastic vehicle for primary learning. Putting financial education in the context of the local community is not just a way to make children and young people relate to the subject but a great way of pulling the community closer together. We really welcome Experian’s dedication to work in this area and our teachers and pupils have found the resource very valuable and informative.”

Noel Kelly, Programme Manager, Northside Partnership said:
“Incorporating this resource into primary school education will help teach children from an early age to have a healthy and responsible attitude to money and budgeting. We are delighted to work with Experian in helping to roll out this programme to schools through our Regional Education Network”.

Experian will now begin a national roll out of the resource nationwide. Teachers or principals interested in attending a financial education lesson to see the resource in action are invited to contact Maeve Dunne, Values Money and Me Schools Consultant 086-723-9898.

ENDS

Issued by:

Petrina Grehan
MKC Communications
00 353 86 1251 386 / 00 353 1 703 8616
Petrina@mkc.ie

Laurie Mannix
MKC Communications
00 353 86 814 3710 / 00 353 1 703 8600
laurie@mkc.ie

About Values Money and Me

Aimed at primary school children, activities are related back to relevant curriculum links and a curriculum assessment schedule helps fit the resources into lesson planning and evaluate their impact. An online quick quiz for each unit also gives teachers a snapshot of their pupils’ knowledge, skills and attitudes relating to each unit.

The resource includes everything teachers need to deliver money lessons in the classroom. As well as teachers, the resource can also be used at home by parents and carers.

About Experian

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2014 was US$4.8 billion. Experian employs approximately 16,000 people in 39 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit www.experianplc.com

¹ A sample survey of more than 50 children uncovered the following statistics:

• 80% receive pocket money – although the majority understood pocket money to be something to “spend or save” some children believed it was “toy money that you can use to play games with” or “money to buy new pockets for clothes”
• 18% believing earnings were “jewellery for your ears”
• 23% indicated that a savings plan might be “a trip somewhere nice that doesn’t cost a lot of money”
• 11% stated it was “paying back money you borrowed”