Source: Kiwibank
28th October, 2026
- Preparing young people for their financial futures is a shared responsibility, and Kiwibank and Banqer are playing their part.
- As financial education becomes mandatory from 2027, the focus must be on making it practical, accessible and easy for teachers to deliver.
- Over the past decade, Kiwibank and Banqer have reached more than 500,000 tamariki and rangatahi, helping equip the next generation with real-world money skills.
Kiwibank and Banqer are calling for schools, whānau and industry to work together to help ensure every young New Zealander leaves school with the skills and confidence to make informed financial decisions.
The call comes as financial education becomes a growing focus of New Zealand’s refreshed national curriculum, with practical money skills set to become a required part of learning for students from Years 1-10 from 2027.
The updated curriculum will progressively introduce concepts including earning, spending, saving, budgeting, investing and understanding financial risk, helping equip young people for the financial realities they’ll face beyond school.
In anticipation of the changes, Banqer has redeveloped its Banqer Primary platform to align with the refreshed curriculum for Years 4 – 8, ensuring teachers have access to practical, curriculum-linked resources that bring key financial concepts to life in the classroom. Banqer High will continue supporting the delivery of financial education at Year 9 and 10.
There is broad agreement that financial capability is an essential life skill. Yet for many young New Zealanders, access to financial education has depended on where they attend school and the resources available to them.
Julia Jack, Kiwibank Chief Purpose and Brand Officer, says the conversation is no longer about whether financial education matters.
“The real opportunity now is making sure high-quality financial education is easy to access in every classroom across the country, simple for teachers to deliver, and relevant to the financial decisions young people will face throughout their lives.
“When financial concepts are brought to life in engaging and practical ways, students are better able to build the confidence and capability they’ll carry with them long after they leave the classroom.
“The way young people interact with money is changing quickly. They’re increasingly using AI and open banking to help manage their finances, but this technology works best when it’s built on strong financial knowledge. That’s why giving young people the right foundations early is so important.”
Jack says successful implementation of the curriculum will also depend on supporting teachers along the way.
“Teachers already have enormous demands on their time. If we want better financial education outcomes, the answer can’t simply be adding more to their workload. We need to make it as easy as possible for teachers to incorporate financial learning into existing classroom experiences.”
Over the past decade, Kiwibank and Banqer have worked together to help bring financial education to life through immersive, real-world learning scenarios. The partnership has now reached more than 500,000 tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa.
“Reaching 500,000 young learners is something we’re incredibly proud of – but we’re only getting started,” says Jack.
Last year Banqer was available in 38% of schools with students in Years 1 to 8 and 43% of schools with students in Years 9 to 13.
Simon Brown, Banqer CEO says the introduction of financial education into the curriculum is a monumental step forward and creates an opportunity to scale the impact of financial education for generations of Kiwi kids.
“Young people learn best by doing. When students can earn, spend, save and make decisions in realistic scenarios, financial concepts become more relevant, engaging and memorable.”
Through Kiwibank’s support, Banqer Primary is available free of charge to all New Zealand primary and intermediate schools, helping remove barriers to access and ensuring more students can benefit from quality financial education.
“One of the things we’re most proud of is that access isn’t determined by a school’s location, size or budget,” says Brown.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to develop the skills and confidence to make informed financial decisions. We’ve made strong progress over the past decade, and we’re excited about the opportunity to reach even more learners in the years ahead.”
As financial education becomes embedded in classrooms across New Zealand, Kiwibank and Banqer are encouraging schools, whānau, businesses and communities to play their part in helping young people build lifelong financial capability.
Schools and teachers interested in accessing Banqer Primary can learn more and register at banqer.co/nz/primary. Parents and whānau who would like to see Banqer in their child’s school are encouraged to speak with their school about the benefits of the programme.
For more information about Banqer and Kiwibank’s financial education partnership, visit www.banqer.co/nz/kiwibank.