Open day marks official launch of financial education projects

In conjunction with the Ministry of Finance, Banka Slovenije today held an open day to mark the official launch of two financial literacy projects. Under the patronage of Governor Boštjan Vasle and finance minister Klemen Boštjančič, we are organising a financial literacy project for young people called Bodi FIN on the subject of online security in personal finances. And for the second consecutive year we are running the Masters of the Digital Future debating project with the support of President Nataša Pirc Musar.

Banka Slovenije is continuing to strengthen its efforts to improve the financial literacy of children and young people. We carry out a number of activities under this banner, and every year we augment our programmes with a major project, where the aim is to find an opportunity for inter-institutional collaboration, which we believe to be of key importance to the country. On this occasion we have joined forces with the Ministry of Finance to run a joint project under the name Bodi FIN. It aims to encourage young people to think about various financial issues through the lens of the security of their own online personal finances. Are young people safe enough in their use of digital financial services? Where can they get more information about this issue? Do they know how to manage their own income in the form of pocket money and scholarships?

We are also continuing the Masters of the Digital Future project with the support of President Nataša Pirc Musar. The debaters taking part in the project will discuss the dangers of false information and how to defend against it, the right to privacy and protection of personal data, and the degree to which these are the responsibility of the individual. They will also consider potential ways to provide additional protection for vulnerable groups, their accessibility to financial services, and the dangers of excessive internet use.

Today’s open day kicked off with speeches for the students and their mentors by Governor Boštjan Vasle and finance minister Klemen Boštjančič. In his speech the Governor highlighted the risks involved in managing money, and reiterated the importance of financial literacy, saying: “Online financial security is knowledge, it’s a particular skill, it’s something that will accompany you your whole life. Learning early to manage your own income is a great basis for making the right financial decisions in adulthood.”

Later the participants – of whom we hosted fully 400 – were given a good grounding in a number of financial topics through a programme of education and entertainment.

The Bodi FIN project will conclude in April of next year with an awards ceremony. Masters of the Digital Future concludes in May, when we host the great debate final. After the end of the project all the finalists will meet President Pirc Musar at the Presidential Palace. For their prizes, the winners of the two projects will travel to Vienna to visit the museum of the Austrian central bank and a number of other financial education institutions, and to see the sights of the city.