Why school

“Kids don’t really want to learn things until they need it, to some extent. I think you would only want to [learn about] it [in] your senior year. [...] Otherwise, I think it’s too early, and they won’t actually care,” Halstead said.

According to a survey by the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), “41 percent of students said they didn’t have any financial literacy classes in high school. This may factor into the financial stress that teens feel when preparing for their futures. Nearly 40 percent said that having a better understanding of how student loans work would help ease their concerns.”

“Right now we are at home the whole time, and then we are thrown off to college and you have all of these things to figure out, but if [high schools] taught finances it would be one less burning task we have to accomplish.” sophomore Jules Romeo said.

Taxes are a complex topic to both teach and learn, so many high school instructors avoid the topic for as long as possible. It is important for young adults to learn about financial literacy for their future of developing

“I think that economics courses should be more than just the traditional supply and demand. […] As soon as you turn 18, you are most likely going to start applying for a job.” school already and we’re learning so why don’t schools teach things I’m going to need in the future.” Romeo said.

However, the difference in familial incomes poses an issue when teaching about financial literacy, as families throughout the school make a range of different incomes where they qualify for different tax brackets. This makes it difficult for administrators to thoroughly describe the details of the American tax system where everyone can feel represented.

“I don’t feel prepared at all for financial responsibility. We use percentages and examples in math a lot but nothing specific to real life.” Romeo said.

A common question that is debated is whether it is the parent’s responsibility to teach their children about finances or their teacher’s.

“I think it’s more of a team effort. I think parents partially do have a responsibility of teaching their kids how to file taxes,” Duran one is in a good mood. It’s tax season.

High School is intended to prepare young students for adulthood, but it does not inform them how to manage finances for when they leave.

“No, [highschool didn’t do a good job] teaching us financial stability. [School] was more on an academic track so we didn’t look at anything that could be applied to the real world.” IB Analysis Prep and Geometry teacher Christine Halstead said.

One of the main reasons schools don’t teach taxes is because administrators feel that teenagers do not have the inclination to learn about financial literacy and stability.

“You might want to purchase a car. If you do decide to go live somewhere else for college you’re going to need to know how to sign the lease and you need to know how to budget. I think just teaching [the] fundamental skills [on how to accomplish those tasks] can go a long way for anyone,” government and economics teacher Juan Duran said.

Then there’s the working age. As of 2023, the average working age in California is 14 years old, and minors can be claimed as a dependent filer if their income from working exceeds $12,950. Students become overwhelmed trying to keep up, and learning taxes properly will prevent ignorance and unpreparedness after leaving high school.

“Science is cool and stuff, but we’re at