Wednesday, October 17, 2007

ECONOMICS FOR EVERYONE

The ECB (European Central Bank) is starting a campaign of economic education. In order to promote it, a few days ago the bank launched the first planned teaching materials: a video about the effects of inflation and the importance of prices stability. The video, despite looks so childlike, shows in a very simple way basic concepts related to this issue, including the importance for the euro zone to maintain a non-inflationary growth over 2%.


I think this kind of initiative deserves widespread support from the education sector. As it is emphasized the importance for young people´education a minimum knowledge about Math, English or first aid, I believe that in this world of business, money and globalization, it is increasingly important for young people to know some basic economics concepts. They should not be lost tomorrow when they will request a credit or hear about inflation or GDP to politicians. Many times, excessive technicalities in the economic language added to the general ignorance of basic issues, makes people to take the economy as something entirely strange for them when, in fact, they are the first to be affected by it