What School Doesn’t Teach Us About Money | Aakash Rajneesh | Student

We spend years studying money in textbooks-but almost none learning how to handle it in real life.

As students, we are taught subjects like mathematics, economics, and business studies. We learn about demand and supply, calculate profit and loss, and understand how markets function in theory. But how much of this actually prepares us to deal with money in everyday life?

This question became more real to me during a visit to Dastkar Nature Bazaar in Delhi as part of our Entrepreneurship class.

At the bazaar, we interacted with artisans and small business owners. What stood out was the complexity of decisions they handle every day. Even a small stall requires careful pricing, stock management, and an understanding of customer preferences. But beyond this, many of them spoke about challenges that are rarely discussed in classrooms.

Access to working capital was a recurring issue. Some artisans shared how they often run out of funds before their next sales cycle, forcing them to rely on informal borrowing. Expanding beyond physical markets was another challenge. Even when demand existed, reaching the right customers remained difficult without digital access or marketing knowledge.

These conversations made me realise that financial literacy is not just about knowing concepts—it is about understanding how money actually works in real situations.

In school, we do learn the basics of finance, such as interest rates and profit calculations. However, we rarely explore practical questions: How does a business manage day-to-day cash flow? What happens when payments are delayed? How do entrepreneurs decide whether to expand or hold back? These are not complex theories, but they are critical decisions that affect real livelihoods.

Another important difference is how risk is understood. In textbooks, risk is something to be calculated. In reality, it directly affects income, stability, and daily life. For small business owners, one wrong decision can have immediate consequences.

At the same time, there is significant potential. With better access to markets, digital platforms, and financial awareness, many of these businesses could grow substantially. But this requires not just opportunity, but also a stronger understanding of financial decision-making.

Schools can play an important role here. Financial literacy should not be limited to formulas and definitions. It should include real-world exposure-interacting with local businesses, analysing everyday financial situations, and understanding how money flows in practice.

For students, such experiences make learning more meaningful. They connect theory with reality and prepare us for decisions we will inevitably face.

If financial literacy continues to remain largely theoretical, students will remain underprepared for real-world challenges. Bridging this gap is not just desirable—it is necessary.

Financial literacy is not just another subject. It is a life skill we cannot afford to overlook.