Smart approach pays off
26 November 2009
By Rebecca Perry
Some of the 2009 Buy Smart competition winners with Minister for Fair Trading Peter Lawlor.
Queensland state schools were the big winners in this year's Buy Smart competition which aims to promote financial literacy among students.
A group of students from Wulguru State School in Townsville took out top honours in the Years 5 to 7 category, and a group from Brisbane's Queensland Academy of Maths, Science and Technology won the Years 10 to 12 category.
The Wulguru students created a DVD based on television show Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? with questions and information on financial literacy.
Wulguru State School teacher Margaret O'Shea said the competition helped her students to improve their understanding of money and other financial matters.
'By helping the children realise this information is connected to their life and that it will help them to succeed in life encourages more engaged learning,' Ms O'Shea said.
She said the school would use its prize money to buy audio-visual equipment.
Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology teacher Fiona Charnley said the competition was a good opportunity for students to link their business studies with the 'real world'.
'Students worked in small groups to research and present ideas on a range of themes, including buying green, tips to avoid money scams, and budgeting to buy a car,' Ms Charnley said.
'The group which won prepared a video on ways for teenagers to save money during the global financial crisis.'
Ms Charnley said the school would use the win to buy new resources including business videos and books.
The list of this year's winners can be found on the Office of Fair Trading youth website 
under 'Latest News'.
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