JSE Wants Primary-level Students to Be Financially Literate

The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) is working to ensure that students at the primary level are financially literate, says Managing Director, Dr. Marlene Street-Forrest.

Speaking at an awards ceremony for the Primary and Preparatory Schools Stock Market Game for Month 2, at the JSE offices in downtown Kingston, on May 16, the Managing Director said entities in the business community should join in the mission, because “technology is not cheap, but it is a must”.

“We are really getting these students into the digital world, and it is a good way to take their minds off other things that can be destructive. Help us to bridge the digital divide, sponsor access, and ensure no child is left behind in gaining these critical life skills. We are convinced that financial literacy at the primary level is a game changer,” she said.

Stressing that every part of the market must be engaged, she said the students’ minds are important, and over the past few months, the JSE has learned, adapted and improved the game to help “our participants grasp the fundamentals more clearly”.

“Quite soon, there will be more changes, because the teachers will give feedback and say, look, why can’t we do this or why can’t we do the other? And we are here to support. The results speak for themselves in terms of the changes that we have done,” Dr. Street-Forrest said.

The Primary and Prep Stock Market School Game is an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven simulation game which sees students getting US$10,000 in virtual money to trade on a specialised platform, a platform designed to encourage financial literacy in students.

“A couple of years from now, nobody is saying, do we know what it is to create wealth? Do we know what it is to invest? If you ask a student about stock, they don’t only think about inventory in a store, but they know that you are talking about business and wealth creation. That is very important,” Dr. Street-Forrest said.

The JSE’s mission is to contribute to the growth and development of the Jamaican economy by facilitating capital mobilisation, exchange and expansion. This is achieved by providing a regulated platform for trading securities, promoting sound corporate governance, and ensuring a fair and efficient market. It also aims to provide a return on equity that is acceptable to its shareholders.