Economic Literacy, make it European
Economy is more and more present in daily lives, politics and global developments.The context of work, health care, pension insurance, education and other spheres are progressively shaped by supply and demand, competition and efficiency. However, there is a lack of knowledge of how a market function. If markets fail like during the financial crisis 2008, questions raise but often too simple answers are given. Moreover, the European countries face economic instabilities but the problems of for example the euro project are not understood by many citizens. Economic issues such as inflation, deflation, the role of a central bank in a currency area, consumers’ debts, etc. are often regarded as being too complex and complicated. This meets a widely spread feeling of uncertainty. As people normally refer to interpretations in public discourse, there is a threat that they may get attracted by nationalist perspectives on economic, social and political phenomenons. Democracy needs education. At least a basic economic education is indispensable that learners learn overcoming uncertainty, finding orientation, developing their own point of view, and practicing tolerance, humanity and respect. In its practical dimension economic education enables to cope with challenges by strengthening initiative, social entrepreneurship, active citizenship, employability and individual management.
The project “mind-opening to economy” aims to provide methods and information to bridge the lack of knowledge. Its activities are addressed to trainers to enhance their basic skills in economic education and to encourage them implementing economic issues in their trainings. It is also addressed to indirect target groups of learners – mostly disadvantaged who do not have the capacity of getting basic economic skills individually – who would benefit from more educational offers in this field.
Participants from each partner organisation come together during three transnational project meetings and two teaching/learning activities of 5 days in which they share and apply methods, knowledge, and experiences in the field of socio-economic education. The exchange results in teaching material to be implemented in educational practice. Moreover, we seek to strengthen networks of economic educators at both transnational and national level.