If you have ever wondered, ‘Why was I not taught finances in my school days?’ and have wanted to do so for your child or your students, then this book is for you. Introducing the vast field of finance is not easy; the maths textbooks do so by posing word problems, and teaching simple and compound interest. But sometimes, it remains difficult to extract the required bigger picture to understand the topic.
I was in a similar situation sometime back, wanting to make space for discussions about budget, taxes and savings for my maths students so that it doesn’t come out of nowhere when one finds oneself in adulthood. To add to it, a teenage student of mine suddenly became interested in trading. I felt in a vacuum about how to thoughtfully and usefully create modules that would encourage my students to engage in reflective ideas while there is an abundance of influence available, through the internet. Researching many documents, new books, discussions with people who can share their experiences, I found this book.
The book helped me see what was in front of me the whole time. Money, Banking and Credit like many others, is not exclusive to the subject of maths. I was faced with an obstacle from a social point of view but I was looking for solutions only in a limited area of numbers and operations. Integration was the key. This is exactly what this book provides.
The book helps the reader or the facilitator with a perspective to trace the journey of money, see how the need for it came about and in what manner it is used today, from barter to UPI and USSD. It explores and encourages discussions about the role of banks as middlemen. And, it shares many anecdotes of credit takers and the kinds of conditions and risks involved. In doing so, it helps the learners explore various realities and provides space to interact with it.
The book gives a bird’s-eye view of finances and aims to introduce the topic exclusively shedding the baggage of fitting into a maths. It gives space to engage in role play, interview and find out how it happens around you scenarios, and think and discuss opportunities equally. I’m looking forward to adapting the module with my middle schoolers and find out how the discussions sit with them.
In addition to the crisp yet detailed curation of text, the book also illustrates the idea through smart and sometimes witty drawings, comics, and flowcharts.
There is a spirit of integration in the book. It has many Mithila/Madhubani drawings as illustrations.
The book would aid in making middle schoolers reflective and explorative about aspects of money, banking, and credit.