MORE than three in four teachers believe most pupils are leaving school without key financial skills, a survey has suggested.

An overwhelming majority of teachers in Britain think children should be taught about money before they start secondary school, according to the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) poll.

Hundreds of thousands of young people could be leaving school each year financially unequipped, the government-backed body has warned.

The poll, of 1,012 teachers in Britain, carried out by YouGov, found that 76 per cent agreed most young people leave school or college without the money skills they need for adulthood.

Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) general secretary Geoff Barton said: “Although there are some elements of financial education on the curriculum already, there is widespread acknowledgement that this needs to go further.

“It’s vital that young people are able to navigate the world safely and securely when they leave school or college – and having the skills needed to make good financial decisions is an important part of this.”

National Association of Head Teachers policy chief Sarah Hannafin said: “Schools want to provide the children with a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adulthood.

“Financial education is a vital part of that as it can help protect children from increasingly complex financial harms including gambling, scams, in-game purchases and online exploitation.

“Financial wellbeing is also important in supporting children and young people’s mental health.

“But it can already be challenging for schools to cover the National Curriculum and qualification specifications in the time available, and this is exacerbated by government policies and high-stakes accountability measures focusing on particular subjects.”