“From Playtime to Financial Education”, initiated by BCR in co-operation with the Association for the Promotion of Performance in Education (APPE), the Ministry of Education and Infomedia România, will take place in 2016, beginning with April and will involve activities regarding training and informing children, teachers and parents about basic financial education aspects, in order to support personal development and, implicitly, community development.

“Children’s financial education should begin at an early age, when they start asking for the first candy, the first toy. Children should be familiar with money, with its value, with how it can be spent with a sense of responsibility, with how it can be saved, invested or donated to charity”, stated Ligia Goloşoiu, the author of the new book for preschool children and of the books on financial education for 3^rd and 4^th graders. One out in ten 3^rd and 4^th grade children have read the materials released by BNR together with Ligia Goloşoiu, 45,000 children have participated to financial education classes, and the course was chosen as the most popular one at school last year.

The main source of financial education for Romania’s young adults remains the family, with a percentage of 95%, while school holds a percentage of 9%, and banks only 5%, according to an Erste study, carried out by IMAS International. “From Playtime to Financial Education” aims at offering children the chance to have access to financial education as early on as possible, and even to increase the level of education, together with their parents or family.

“Romania has a low level of financial literacy, just 22%, budget planning is an unknown concept for three out of four Romanians, and regarding the bankarization rate, we are ranked 124 out of 143 in a global ranking, according to recent statistics. In this context, an early beginning to financial education is a must, and “From Playtime to Financial Education” is the answer to this need. Also, we considered the fact that 95% of Romanian’s financial education comes from family, which is why the book also contains problems which children can solve at home, together with their parents, who can add other information to those obtained at the kindergarten,” says Dana Demetrian, Vice-President of BCR’s Retail&Private Banking Department.

“The “From Playtime to Financial Education” programme aims at promoting the concept of financial education for preschool children, with activities for the trio parents-children-teachers and, also, to nurture the children’s respect for work and money,” statedViorica Preda, General Inspector of the Ministry of Education.

Once again, the new programme dedicated to preschool children ilustrates BCR’s constant preoccupation and consistent investment in strengthening Romania’s children and young adults’ financial knowledge. In 2008, BCR supported the creation of the first book of financial education for high-school students, developed by the “Junior Achievement” non-profit organisation, together with the Ministry of Education and with BCR, who financed and contributed with over 500 consultants as volunteers for its implementation in schools. Moreover, in 2009 BCR launched the “Money School”(“Şcoala de Bani”) campaign, which combined theoretical lessons from two books, “Guide for conversations between your pocket and your money” (“Ghidul de conversţie între buzunar şi ban”) and “Guide for increasing money” (“Ghidul de creştere a banilor”)with fun elements and instruments used in managing the family’s wallet. Also, in 2-13, BCR and Erste Bank, together with the National Museum of Romanian History and the Ministry of National Education, carried out the “Fabulous World of Money” (“Fabuloasa lume a banilor”) financial education project, which consisted of an interactive exhibition and o competition of financial topics dedicated to children from various grades, from 1^stgraders to 8^th graders.