High school students in France may be among the first people in the world to actually understand how cryptocurrency works.
The Next Web reports that the French education ministry, Le Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale, will integrate cryptocurrency into its curriculum and teach students the influence that bitcoin has on the economy. An outline of the curriculum notes that under this new module, high school teachers will provide a basic overview of cryptocurrency so students can understand the framework of decentralized financial systems.
France announced the decision in June, but cryptocurrency reporters in the U.S. and France have learned of the new curriculum this week.
The education ministry recommends teachers use four educational videos that address questions like “Is Bitcoin the currency of the future?” and “Can Bitcoin replace the Euro?”
According to the cryptocurrency outlet Decrypt, the curriculum outline advises that students should watch the videos and discuss the differences between fiat money (like the dollars in your pocket) and bitcoin.
This is far from the first time academic institutions will be encouraged to teach students about cryptocurrency. A recent Coinbase report found that 42 per cent of top universities feature blockchain and cryptocurrency course. But France’s new suggested curriculum is likely the first nationwide program that encourages blockchain studies.
No matter how you feel about cryptocurrency, encouraging young students to understand financial systems can only benefit them and the future economy. If recent generations of students had a healthy balance of STEM and economics in their curriculum, we wouldn’t be as screwed as we are now.