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ESSA’s Well-Rounded Education

Education Level:

Emily Workman , Scott D. Jones

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The meaning of a good, well-rounded education

Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison ( Why it pays to be privileged , 2 February) illustrate some of the subtle ways in which talent can be showcased by privilege. For individuals without this supporting structure, the result can be a ceiling on progress and lower financial reward, even after their entry to an elite profession. The ceiling must be dismantled if the UK is ever to become a more equal society. This will require not only decisive action by government, but pro-social action by some of our most esteemed institutions.

Closing highly successful institutions that perpetuate privilege and create such ceilings, such as public schools and Oxbridge, would be destructive and well-nigh impossible. It might be more effective to maintain and celebrate them with a society-endowed broader function. Public schools could forgo pupils below the age of 16. They could convert themselves into sixth-form centres of excellence specialising in advanced level teaching. They could use their buildings and amenities to provide year-long residential courses between GCSE and A-levels, extending young people’s skills in similar ways to the Danish voluntary courses between folkeskolen and upper secondary schools.

Similarly, Oxford and Cambridge could restrict themselves to postgraduate teaching and research. They would continue to flourish as world-famous centres of learning but their negative influence on all other British universities and their role in maintaining privilege in our society would be ameliorated. Professor Peter Mortimore Richmond, London

As headmaster of one of the independent boarding schools mentioned in your article ( Critics take aim at subsidies given to private schools , 5 February), I welcome the critical focus on how much schools like mine are doing to merit the subsidies we receive. These subsidies are to support children to have continuity in their education, not to fatten our coffers. The article also fails to mention the numerous community engagement projects in which schools like mine are willingly engaged: free of charge.

We are currently supporting a local academy with maths teaching, providing a modern languages teacher for a local primary school and continuing our 110-year-plus partnership with a youth club in Everton. These, and many similar activities, are part of the DNA of charitable independent schools. We are committed to benefiting our local communities and widening access to our schools through growing bursary schemes. We have a long way to go and it is right that we are held to account. Any income we receive goes into improving opportunities in line with our charitable purposes, rather than swelling the bank accounts of shareholders. Leo Winkley Headmaster, Shrewsbury School

Caitlin Phillips and Phil Jones ( Letters , 8 February) clearly favour the abolition of private schools. I wonder if, in the interests of fairness and balance, I may be allowed to put another point of view. In this country you may spend your taxed income on anything you wish within the law – luxury homes, cars, exotic holidays – with one exception, it seems: a private education for your children.

In 2014 the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) published a report stating that, since 2007, it had reviewed all of Scotland’s independent schools on its register and none had been removed for failing the charity test. Note that it is the OSCR who set the criteria for charitable status, not the independent schools – which are clearly fulfilling their obligations.

Some 25% of Edinburgh’s schoolchildren are privately educated. In private schools stellar teaching, parental encouragement and a studious atmosphere are the norm. All three qualities should be the norm in state schools at no extra cost; what is lacking is the parental will to demand them. Nobody wins a race by eliminating the opposition. Doug Clark Currie, Midlothian

How accurate and relevant the assertions of Phil Jones ( Letters , 8 February): the gross inequity of our two school systems and the ongoing damage to the state sector. On 12 February, Midlothian council meets to consider axing instrumental music tuition throughout both its primary and secondary schools. In addition to the inevitable job losses, the availability of a wide (and currently wonderful) array of local school bands will disappear and the viability of whole music departments will be threatened. Such an act (together with other proposed reductions) will no doubt provide a fillip to local private school recruitment. I could cry. John Steele Peebles, Scottish Borders

Jess Gillam is absolutely right ( Every child deserves the magic of music , Letters, 11 February). Musical education should be at the core of our educational system. It unites head and heart and brings people together in a uniquely positive form of communication. From my past experience in further education, many young people don’t realise how deeply it can affect their lives: but when they do, their lives often take a firm path in a future direction. Meirion Bowen London

I was a lucky one. In 1959 my school introduced free violin tuition. I didn’t play much during working years and family years, but now, retired, music has become my life. I play in a ceilidh band in care homes, community events and concerts. I run a string group as part of the U3A. I play for ceilidhs as part of a Strathspey and Reel society. My daughter, a professional violin/viola player, now runs a number of community music groups. My granddaughters play in national children’s orchestras. All as a result of my free tuition in school (my parents could never have paid for lessons). Music is fundamental to our society. Children learn far more than technical skill on an instrument. It should be a core subject in our schools. Morag Sutherland Broughty Ferry, Dundee

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Defining the Educated Person

• Posted April 26, 2012
• By Jill Anderson

The question of what defines an educated person is not necessarily easy to answer, but it's important to try. However, the panelists at an Askwith Forum last week agreed that educators often don't consider that question and, when they do, the answers aren't what one might expect.

"I find the question to be simultaneously heartening and disheartening," said Deborah Delisle, nominee for assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education, U.S. Department of Education and former Ohio State Superintendent. "Disheartening in that it is a rare conversation at the local, state, or federal level. We don't craft our schools around [that question]."

Delisle was one of five panelists — also including Tufts University President-Emeritus and HGSE President in Residence Lawrence S. Bacow, Harvard Kennedy School Professor and Director of the Center for Public Leadership David Gergen, Harvard University Professor Emeritus Henry Rosovsky, and Vermont Department of Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca— who discussed the goals and means to educating students in our times at the forum, "Defining the Educated Person." The forum was cosponsored by the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard (ALI), which is designed to enhance and leverage the skills of highly accomplished, experienced leaders dedicated to solving significant social problems.

To be considered educated, said the panelists, students should leave school with a deep understanding of themselves and how they fit into the world, and have learned what some call "soft skills" — complex problem-solving, creativity, entrepreneurship, the ability to manage themselves, and the ability to be lifelong learners. As Professor Fernando Reimers, who moderated the panel, summarized, there is a disconnect between how education gets delivered in the classroom and the common desire for students to become good, well-rounded people.

Delisle pointed out that educators often lose sight of creating well-rounded students because they are busy fighting over accountability and who is at fault in the classroom. Then, educators tend to focus more on "silver bullets" and "best practices" as a means to solving educations problems, she said.

Over the years, Bacow noted that part of the problem could be how education's goal had somehow become more instrumental. Gone are the days where going to college was more about expanding your mind versus landing you a job.

While there are many things in education that could be changed, Rosovsky said he likes to ask people what doesn't need to change. While Rosovsky said many people cannot answer that question, he once received a memorable response: meaningful human contact.

Rosovsky also wondered whether the creation of technology added to the disconnect between what makes an educated person and how that education is being delivered. Panelists had mixed views on this. Vilaseca, for one, views technology as a tool that won't replace people. "I dont 'think relationships are going away relationships are the most important thing," he said.

However, some argued that technology hinders our contemplative nature. According to Bacow, technology has significantly decreased the amount of time people actually think about things. "We need to find more time for reflection and contemplation," he said.

Despite the immediate gratification of technology, Gergen added that students really do understand the need for solitude and reflection.

"What do we want an educated person to be?" Bacow said. "We want them to be wise, creative, empathetic, engaged. There are many processes by which we can to bring students to that state of being and there is a role for family, a role for teachers, and a role for contemplation and reflection to get there."

The latest research, perspectives, and highlights from the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Askwith essentials: who is jeb bush, school reform from the outside in.

What is a Well-rounded Education?

Posted by: Andrew Bateson at 10:00 am, August 13, 2014

Plato, Confucius and Aristotle : could school students benefit from more philosophical study?

The Head of Eaton College, Tony Little, has stated recently that Britain’s exam system is unimaginative and outdated. He bases this on the current system whereby students sit alone at desks to complete exam papers in silence, and on the fact that it has remained largely unchanged since Victorian times. He says it bears no relation to “a world in which, for much of the time, they [ the students ] will need to work collaboratively.”

Little goes on to say that British schools should not seek to copy China’s academic system because it is wrong, “to confuse league table success with a good education,” and warned, “British children would suffer in the global job market if they were forced into the straightjacket that confines Chinese pupils, rather than receiving a well-rounded education.” In his ideal, a well-rounded education includes putting children through after-school classes and restructuring the school day to enable the conversion of free moments between lessons into one 30-minute “enrichment session,” something encouraged by the Department of Education so that children can work at a higher level. Cringeworthy stuff!

Tony Little says there is merit in “the liberal values of an all-round education, something we have traditionally been good at. A sharp focus on performance is a good thing, but there is a great deal more to an effective and good education than jostling for position in a league table.” We often hear such remarks, but there seems to be very little reported about what constitutes a well-rounded education. A Lancashire head also in the news recently said that playing a musical instrument, painting a picture or being a good friend were also skills to be valued. It is a curious thing that being a good friend is thought of as being a skill to be learned.

Perhaps it would be better to think in terms of finding a way of being , and thinking that this is the essence of a well-rounded education. Educators do not seem to be able to get away from the idea that education’s aim is to create people who have a skill set that allows them to compete in the global market and that life is about work, especially working collaboratively as according to Tony Little. What our educators fail to grasp is that we need to help people learn to be . This is partly about self-awareness, acceptance, and the ability to be still without thinking, which lacks the more destructive elements of human behaviour in competitiveness, ego and ambition. We need to avoid the continual engagement in endless thought-streams about nothing in particular, which Facebook and constant contact through iPhones encourages. We need to change the mindset which says that working hard and being busy and ‘getting on’ is what life is about. This is the drive to achieve ‘success’ which really equates with having more money to buy and consume more stuff , and ultimately this is not about anything.

There is a need to gain a sense of who we are, in order to live more consciously and compassionately, allowing us to lead a fulfilling life. This does not require endless busyness, nor does it require copious entertainment when not working. When we reach the end of our lives we will not be saying, “I wish I had spent more time at the office or had enjoyed more entertainment”. It would be more normal at such a time to think about who we are, our relationships, and beautiful experiences, not about work and material goods. So why wait until then to think this way?

David Blunkett made some attempt to broaden education by introducing AS Levels, but this meant doing more of the same traditional subjects. Broadening education and making it more well-rounded might perhaps involve studying things such as Meditation and the Buddhist tradition. Ancient History, Herbal Medicine and Philosophy would also promote a sense of who we are.

All this is not a radical way of thinking, rather it is just not in the minds of educators and politicians. However, if they would open up to this and really think about what education should be, and move away at least a little from the work-based global competitiveness theme, we might make some more valuable changes to our education system than the creation of academies, free schools and more rigorous exams. Who knows? Such a well-rounded education system might start producing well-rounded individuals.

See more by Andrew Bateson

Andrew Bateson is 57 years old and initially trained as a Geologist. He has been a secondary school teacher for 22 years teaching Chemistry and Science to 11 to 18 year olds. Previously he worked in the Ceramic industry in research and development and then management. He has experience of both the independent and state sectors, teaching in single sex and mixed sex schools. As a Union Rep., he followed educational policy closely throughout his teaching career. He has retired from teaching to continue working with OOL and to retrain as a Psychotherapist.

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What is a ‘well-rounded education’?

The term “well-rounded education,” defined in Section 8101, means “courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject,” as determined by the SEA or LEA “with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum. “

The term is used throughout ESSA, in Sections 1114 and 1115 on schoolwide and targeted assistance programs, as well as Title II, Part B, the new Literacy Education for ALL programs, and Title IV, which provides Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, and grants for 21st Century Leaning Centers. It’s also found in the law’s definition of expanded learning time.

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ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)

Legislative Updates

ESEA Reauthorization is Finalized as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

On Thursday, December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the legislation (S.1177 Every Child Achieves Act of 2015) to reauthorization the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The new ESEA reauthorization, which will be known as “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), reauthorizes and amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). This reauthorization addresses issues such as accountability and testing requirements, distribution and requirements for grants fiscal accountability requirements, and the evaluation of teachers. It focuses on reducing federal oversight of education and increasing state flexibility in the use of funds. It will take some time to determine the impact of this approach on state and local policy as well as accountability and reporting measures.

The President’s signature follows votes in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 2 (359 to 64 with 10 members not voting) and the Senate on Wednesday, December 9 (85 to 12 with 3 members not voting: Cruz, Sanders, Rubio).

According to the Congressional summary of the legislation:

• The bill provides states with increased flexibility and responsibility for developing accountability systems, deciding how federally required tests should be weighed, selecting additional measures of student and school performance, and implementing teacher evaluation systems.
• It includes grants for providing language instruction educational programs, improving low-performing schools, and developing programs for American Indian and Alaska Native students. The bill provides rural school districts with increased flexibility in using federal funding. It also revises the Impact Aid formula.
• The bill requires school districts to consult stakeholders in planning and implementing programs to improve student safety, health, well-being, and academic achievement.
• It combines two existing charter school programs into one program that includes grants for high-quality charter schools, facilities financing assistance, and replication and expansion.
• The bill provides states with flexibility in meeting maintenance of effort requirements for state and local education funding to supplement federal assistance.
• The bill prohibits the Department of Education from imposing certain requirements on states or school districts seeking waivers from federal laws.
• It provides that ESEA dollars may be used to improve early childhood education programs and specifies requirements to ensure that homeless youth have access to all services provided by the states and school districts.

The following key points highlight the opportunities for arts education within the legislation. For further details go to NAEA website.

• The arts and music are included in a definition of a “well-rounded education” - a term that has replaced the current definition of “core academic subjects,” which had included the “arts.”
• The subjects listed in the definition of a well-rounded education - including arts and music education - appear to be specified as eligible uses of Title I funds. Title I funds are the largest pool of federal resources dedicated to ensuring equitable access to a complete education for all students.
• The programs supported by the current Arts in Education fund are retained as a newly named “Assistance for Arts Education” fund.
• Arts and music education are specified as eligible uses for new, state-administered “Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants” including support for the arts in STEM education.
• 21st Century Community Learning Center funding is maintained, and arts and music education are specified as eligible for support under “expanded learning time” provisions.

It is important to note that this federal legislation, even when adopted, is not a state or local mandate. Once a conference committee is convened to finalize one Congressional bill, should ESEA be signed into law by the President, it is clear that local efforts to determine access to the arts will be required.

NAEA works collaboratively with all of the arts education professional associations and national arts associations engaged with monitoring arts and education policy and federal appropriations for arts education. The items cited in the list above center NAEA policy objectives around the Arts Advocacy Day arts education issues briefs , which serve as NAEA’s underlying policy documents regarding reauthorization and represent the consensus policy objectives of over 85 national organizations, including NAEA.

There is much to be figured out as the nation moves to implement the new law, but the White House and the Department have released a number of materials to help educate the public about the ESSA, including:

• a White House report on progress made in elementary and secondary education and how ESSA will cement that progress;
• Secretary Duncan’s blog post, “ Finally a Fix to No Child Left Behind ;”
• Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz’s blog post, “ What You Need to Know About the Fix to No Child Left Behind ” (with a side-by-side comparison of NCLB, ESEA flexibility, and ESSA);
• excerpts from the Secretary’s prepared remarks at the Learning Forward conference; and
• a Dear Colleague letter from both Secretary Duncan and incoming Acting Secretary King on ESSA.

Many of these materials are posted on the Department’s ESEA web page and additional materials will be posted as they become available. In the meantime, questions may be directed to [email protected] .

In ESSA, Arts Are Part of ‘Well-Rounded Education’ . Arts education advocates breathed a sigh of relief last Thursday when the Every Student Succeeds Act, which includes language that cements states’ obligation to support arts education programs in public schools, became the new federal education law of the land. Several proposals for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act floated earlier this year did not specifically call for funding the creative disciplines. But the Every Student Succeeds Act includes the arts alongside math and language arts in its definition of a “well-rounded education.” (Source: Education Week/Curriculum Matters, 12/15/15)

Update: On Wednesday, December 2, the House almost as overwhelmingly approved the Every Student Succeeds Act, 359 to 64. Senate action expected soon.

ESEA Reauthorization Update – Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (December 2, 2015)

NAEA has been carefully monitoring the status of activities in the U.S. Congress relative to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Before the summer recess, each chamber voted its version of ESEA Reauthorization. As both houses of Congress voted favorably for both bills, a conference committee convened this fall to finalize one bill to move forward for the President to sign. The leaders of the education committees from the House and Senate (Congressmen John Kline R-MN and Bobby Scott D-VA; Senators Lamar Alexander R-TN and Patty Murray D-WA) determined that Congressman John Kline would chair the conference committee.

On Monday, November 30, 2015, the draft of the final legislation was released. The House of Representatives may vote on the legislation as early as later this week.

The new ESEA reauthorization, entitled “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), focuses on reducing federal oversight of education and increasing state flexibility in the use of funds. It will take some time to determine the impact of this approach on state and local policy as well as accountability and reporting measures.

• Accountability requirements are more flexible. While tests in reading and math are still required under the new bill, states are given flexibility in incorporating other measures of student success into their accountability plans - such as student engagement - and are encouraged to use portfolio and project based-assessment when measuring student learning, which may open the door to increased support of arts education strategies.

The following key points highlight the opportunities for arts education within the legislation.

• The arts and music are included in a definition of a “well-rounded education” - a term that has replaced the current definition of “core academic subjects,” which had included the “arts.” (In this context, the arts include the visual arts, dance, and theater.) The well-rounded education definition broadens the list of subjects and appears in provisions related to afterschool and expanded learning time, English language learners, literacy, and more. This means that advocates can encourage local and state education policymakers to use their federal funds in these areas to support arts and music education.

“WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION.-The term 'well-rounded education’ means courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject, as determined by the State or local educational agency, with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.”

The subjects listed in the definition of a well-rounded education - including arts and music education – appear to be specified as eligible uses of Title I funds. Title I funds are the largest pool of federal resources dedicated to ensuring equitable access to a complete education for all students.

The programs supported by the current Arts in Education fund are retained as a newly named “Assistance for Arts Education” fund. This is a significant win as many other small programs of this kind were eliminated in the new bill. The Arts Education fund includes national competitive grants to support partnerships among schools and community-based organizations.

Arts and music education are specified as eligible uses for new, state-administered “Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants” including support for the arts in STEM education. Local education agencies will apply to states for the funds and are asked to consult with community-based organizations and other public stakeholders when preparing their applications. Integrating the arts into STEM learning programs is also a specified area of eligibility for the new grants.

21st Century Community Learning Center funding is maintained, and arts and music education are specified as eligible for support under “expanded learning time” provisions. Afterschool, out of school, and summer learning programs are key areas in which arts organizations partner with schools to support student learning in the arts.

Implementation timing, as reported by Education Week:

The bill outlines the transition plan from the Obama administration’s ESEA waivers to this bold new era of accountability. Waivers would appear be null and void on August 1, 2016, but states would still have to continue supporting their lowest-performing schools (a.k.a. what the waivers call “priority schools”) and schools with big achievement gaps (a.k.a. “focus schools”) until their new ESSA plans kicked in.

So it seems that 2016-17 will be the big transition year. It will be partially under the Obama administration, and partially under the new administration.

In general, ESSA would apply to any federal grants given out after Oct. 1, 2016, so most grants would still be under the NCLB version of the law for the rest of this school year.

NAEA works collaboratively with all of the arts education professional associations and national arts associations engaged with monitoring arts and education policy and federal appropriations for arts education. The items cited in the list above center NAEA policy objectives around the Arts Advocacy Day arts education issues briefs, which serve as NAEA’s underlying policy documents regarding reauthorization and represent the consensus policy objectives of over 85 national organizations, including NAEA.

Huge Arts Education Win in Congress Today (November 19, 2015)

For arts education proponents, Thanksgiving came early this year. In the midst of the biggest shakeup of federal education law in over a decade, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) successfully added an amendment today to the rewrite of the nation’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) legislation that will integrate the arts into STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math).

This is of particular significance because her amendment was unanimously adopted by voice vote by the joint House-Senate Conference Committee during today’s mark-up of the final ESEA bill. The bill next goes to the House and Senate for final (and likely) passage in early December before landing on the President’s desk.

The amendment specifically citing the arts states: “integrating other academic subjects, including the arts, into STEM programs to increase participation in STEM, improve attainment of STEM-related skills, and promote well-rounded education;”

After many years of anticipation, this bipartisan legislation will set new K-12 education policies impacting the nation’s 100,000 schools across the country. (Arts Action Fund, 11/19/15)

Helpful Downloads

• ESEA Issues Brief: Strengthening Arts Education in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Helping Children Achieve in School, Work, and Life (PDF 252 KB)
• ESEA Legislative Recommendations (PDF 14.9 KB)
• Funding the Arts In Education Program at the U.S. Department Of Education: Improving Access to Arts Education for All Students (PDF 216 KB)
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Promoting Creativity and Public Access to the Arts (PDF 342 KB)
• #VisualArtsEd
• NAEA Arts Advocacy Working Group
• Learning in a Visual Age
• Arts in Education Week
• NAEA Platform and Position Statements
• Advocacy White Papers for Art Education
• Arts Education for America’s Students
• ESSA Implementation and Online Resources
• Issues Briefs: National Arts Action Summit
• Legislative Updates: Federal Administration

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Example sentences well-rounded education

Colleges often provide book grants and academic travel scholarships, along with libraries, laboratories, boathouses, sports fields and all the resources for a well - rounded education .

Despite this, researchers still counsel students to get a well - rounded education .

He received a well - rounded education from private tutors at home.

All available for a well - rounded education , there are one set for each grade.

They resolved to found a school that would be completely free, and provide a competitive and well - rounded education for disadvantaged youth.

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In ESSA, Arts Are Part of 'Well-Rounded Education'

Wednesday, december 16, 2015.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law last Thursday, includes the arts alongside math and language arts in its definition of a "well-rounded education." That ensures that arts education programs and teachers are eligible to receive federal funds through provisions such as Title I, which supports disadvantaged students, and Title II, which supports teachers. 

Americans for the Arts isn't the only organization involved in arts education advocacy that's breathing a huge sigh of relief. In an article by Education Week published yesterday, Patricia Franklin, president of the National Art Education Association, said having the arts included in that definition is a "win." "It's important that language including the arts was not only maintained, but was specified in some cases. It's not marginalized as much."  

The arts also make appearances in other parts of ESSA. The new law offers funding specifically for integrating arts into STEM, and also includes a $20 million grant program for arts education, known as the Assistance for Arts Education grant program, which replaces a similar program from the No Child Left Behind Act. The Every Student Succeeds Act also gives states "more flexibility in how they allocate resources to low-performing schools and set accountability measures than before, which means arts education advocates will now be turning to states to ensure that federal funds actually make their way to eligible arts programs."

Our own vice president of government affairs and arts education, Narric Rome, was quoted in the article, saying "everyone understands the power that a definition had for the arts in No Child Left Behind. It allowed recognition for the arts in all the other titles ...Having a defined set of core subjects meant the focus shouldn't be just on reading and math because they have tests." 

Read Narric Rome and Kate McClanahan's ARTSBlog post from last week here . 

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well-rounded

Definition of well-rounded

Examples of well-rounded in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'well-rounded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1823, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near well-rounded

Cite this entry.

“Well-rounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/well-rounded. Accessed 8 May. 2024.

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Money matters: Your guide to financial literacy

Financial literacy rates must improve around the world. Image:  Desola Lanre-Ologun/Unsplash

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Meagan Andrews

Haleh nazeri.

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Stay up to date:, financial and monetary systems.

• April 2024 was National Financial Literacy month in the US, but adult financial literacy rates in the country have hovered around the 50% mark for the past eight years.
• This round-up of articles looks at the challenges and solutions of improving financial literacy rates around the world.
• The World Economic Forum’s Financial Literacy Initiative aims to increase access to financial education and investing practices.

The world of finance can be a complex place, but it’s important to develop a basic understanding of the influential role money plays in our work, social life, health, education and everything in between.

From the influence of technology in driving financial inclusion to efforts to close the gender wealth gap, we go behind the scenes to keep you in the loop.

Here are the must-read financial literacy articles and videos from April – National Financial Literacy month in the US – on Agenda.

Have you read?

How storytelling is teaching children around the world financial literacy, bridging the financial literacy gender gap: here are 5 digital inclusion projects making a difference, women’s financial literacy benefits us all — here’s how, operation hope, tech and financial education.

Technology is providing a gateway for historically excluded people to manage their own financial future.

With inclusion in financial services at an all-time high, technology can facilitate widespread education, accessibility and affordability that were previously reserved for a wealthy few, opening doors and breaking down barriers worldwide.

Read more from the chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, the US’s largest financial literacy organization: Inclusion in US financial services is at an all-time high – and tech can take us further

Longevity and financial literacy

Boosting women’s financial literacy helps increase their financial freedom and security in retirement.

A policy push to boost access to financial education, alongside industry investment in services and economic opportunities specifically for women, could help relieve deep systemic inequalities such as the gender wealth gap.

Read more: How boosting women’s financial literacy could help you live a long, fulfilling life

Financial literacy gap

Worldwide, 35% of men are financially literate compared with 30% of women. It may not sound like much of a difference, but this gap is significant globally, exists in both developed and developing economies and doesn’t look like closing any time soon.

There are some solutions that can help. Watch the video below for three ways to improve financial literacy among women.

Action on financial literacy

Americans generally perform poorly on understanding key financial concepts; this deficiency in financial knowledge extends globally, affecting economic and personal outcomes.

The consequences of low financial knowledge are costly and sweeping, yet the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index (P-Fin Index), released on 17 April 2024, gives Americans a failing grade when it comes to understanding the concepts that underpin decisions about saving for retirement, managing debt or insuring against risks.

Read more: It’s financial literacy month: From schools to the workplace, let's take action

Young people and investing

Young people are actively investing in capital markets, with 70% of retail investors under the age of 45. However, young people globally have financial literacy rates that hover below 50%.

Boosting financial literacy can help empower young people to invest with higher returns, avoid high levels of debt and increase their overall financial well-being.

Read more: Globally young people are investing more than ever, but do they have the best tools to do so?

The financial services industry is facing several future risks, including vulnerabilities to cyberattacks due to artificial intelligence and new financial products creating debt.

The World Economic Forum’s Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems works with the public and private sectors to design a more sustainable, resilient, trusted and accessible financial system worldwide.

Learn more about our impact:

• Net zero future: Our Financing the Transition to a Net Zero Future initiative is accelerating capital mobilization in support of breakthrough decarbonization technologies to help transition the global economy to net zero emissions.
• Green Building Principles: Our action plan for net zero carbon buildings offers a roadmap to help companies deliver net zero carbon buildings and meet key climate commitments.
• Financing biodiversity: We are convening leading financial institutions to advance the understanding of risks related to biodiversity loss and the opportunities to adopt mitigation strategies through our Biodiversity Finance initiative.

Want to know more about our centre’s impact or get involved? Contact us .

Misunderstanding risk and why it matters

Around half of US adults were unable to answer three financial literacy questions posed by the recent P-Fin Index survey. Risk proved the least understood aspect of finance.

How do you think you would fare? Watch the video below to test your financial knowhow and see what can be done to improve our understanding of financial matters.

A question of finance

US financial literacy rates have been stubbornly hovering around the 50% mark for eight consecutive years, with a 2% drop in the past two years, according to the latest P-Fin Index.

In the European Union, a quarter of respondents scored low for knowledge in the 2023 Eurobarometer survey on financial literacy , with 18% at a low level of financial literacy.

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License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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