In Singapore, all elementary sixth-graders have to pass an intense Primary School Leaving Examination before they can enroll in middle school. Forgive my brag here, but as Singapore is pretty famous the world over for attaining high proficiency in Mathematics among her children and youth, the Mathematics paper is notoriously challenging. On most years, one out-of-the-box question will be leaked to the press after examination time, causing anxious parents to be up in arms about why their precious children have to be subjected to such trauma. 

The Math paper was on 1st October. This year, the question that got widely publicized was on money. Let me reproduce the question below from a tuition centre called Nicklebee Tutors.

While many parents might be upset that this question was included in this year's paper, I applaud the Ministry of Education's move on this one.  Sometimes, the mathematical questions primary school children are expected to solve are not really all that related to their daily lives. I mean, who will bother about two cars meeting each other from opposite directions or calculating the shaded area of unconventional shapes purposely designed to raise the bar for students who are already a bunch of nerves on examination day? Some of these higher-level questions involve the children to draw mathematical models to solve them, which is alas! a skill often relegated to the side as the kids move on to algebra in middle school.

But since the world is rapidly changing and involves our children getting used to money in all its mind-boggling forms, including fiat currency, it goes without saying that training our children to be nimble and agile in their thinking when it comes to money is of utmost importance. 

Moreover, this question doesn't require the use of any models or equations. Just logical and systematic thinking. If both Helen and Ivan had the same number of coins, it goes to show that Helen must have 40 more 50-cent coins than Ivan! If the child manages to exercise such dexterity in his or her thinking, then he or she can solve the first question with ease. After all, this is a two-mark question, not 20 marks!

I am sharing this for your pleasure because I am rather affirmative of my country's effort to inculcate financial literacy, even if it's in the form of an unconventional exam question. How is financial literacy inculcated in youth in your country?

P.S: I actually invigilated the Math paper. And parents are barking up the wrong tree because I don't think this money question was the most difficult one. There was one question on circles and semicircles and another one on filling up a water tank but that's another story for another time.