Regarding your article as part of the FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (“MPs launch inquiry into UK financial education”, Report, FT Weekend, November 18), financial learning is the right expression but “financial education” offers too much of a role to intermediaries, and thus risks being self-serving.

The key need is to arouse interest. Once that interest has been aroused, people are fully able to teach themselves.

The most useful subject for education is elementary bookkeeping. It has a long history of being taught successfully. When they have elementary bookkeeping in their toolkit, people can more easily reach their own financial answers.

The FT is right to focus on financial learning and parliament’s education select committee errs in aiming to introduce financial education as such into the curriculum.

“FinEd” disempowers.

Malcolm Hurlston
Immediate Past Chairman
UK Shareholders Association
London W9, UK