Consumer Skills

The purpose of teaching consumer skills is to aid students in becoming aware of their own consumer habits and the effects they have on the wider community, but also to aid students in developing their personal financial management skills. The school must encourage moderation, sharing and austerity. The ultimate goal of this is for students to learn ethical consumer habits, understand the meaning of a sustainable lifestyle and to view advertisement more critically. This understanding of how advertising is used to influence consumer behaviour is not to be underestimated. Moreover, recognising how digital monitoring systems work (e.g. eCommerce website product recommendations) is also considered a consumer skill. These observations regarding advertising should relate with the students’ personal experiences, which may differ from more traditional advertising (e.g. a public figure as a brand and idealising lifestyles)