At Home: Beyond Allowance
It’s no secret that financial troubles plague many adults, and that sometimes the problem’s caused by poor money management. Blame the system?kids receive very little instruction in budgeting, saving, and the like. But there’s good news for the financial future: the government of Ontario is pioneering a new financial education supplement to the elementary and high school curricula.
As The Toronto Star reports, the program plans to promote financial literacy among ?students in grades 4 through 12.? Students will learn the basics of money management, skills that will stand them in good stead when they hit adulthood.
It’s a joint project among the Ministry of Education, the Ontario Securities Commission, and the Commission’s Investor Education Fund, and will launch ?this coming September.?
Educators and politicians are excited about the plan. According to Toronto city councilor Josh Matlow, the initiative fills a gaping hole: previously, he told reporters, ?there were some basic fundamental skills and knowledge that a lot of society was missing.? The financial literacy curriculum, he added, ?teaches . . . students a basic skill to be successful in life.?
Around the World: I Scream
While most people swear by chocolate or vanilla ice cream?or maybe rocky road?there’s a large sub-market catering to those interested in more exotic ice cream concoctions. From rosemary, olive oil, and honey sundaes to ice cream spiked with Tabasco sauce, there’s a whole world of untapped flavour out there. Apparently, there are also untapped sources.
As the Daily Mail reports, ice cream parlour The Icecreamists, in London’s Covent Garden, has decided to ?reinvent? ice cream by offering one variety created from human breast milk.
Icecreamists founder Matt O’Connor told reporters he’s ?given [ice cream] a one hundred percent makeover,? adding that he wants ?to change the way people think about ice cream.? The exclusive vanilla-flavoured dish, which retails for £14 and is served in a cocktail glass, is known as ?Baby Gaga.? Spirits may be added ?on request.?
Women providing the milk are paid ?£15 for every ten ounces extracted using breast pumps.? Standards of care are applied, and ?health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors.? But as The Washington Post reports, several days after the treat appeared on the menu, the ice cream was confiscated by local officials for testing. However, The Icecreamists is in ?full cooperation? and is confident that its treat will be deemed safe.