In a pioneering effort to instil financial literacy at a young age, veteran investor Peter Davies of Lansdowne Partners recently sat down with Aryan Shekar, the 11-year-old Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Sir David Amess UK Children’s Parliament for primary school students.
Accompanied by five other students from Westminster Under School, Shekar grilled Davies on the intricate world of investing, underscoring the Children’s Parliament’s mission to empower the next generation with financial know-how.
“The crucial goal is to enforce the development of financial literacy in primary schools across the United Kingdom,” Shekar stated, echoing the Parliament’s objective of engaging children aged 7-11 on complex financial concepts.
Andrew Fox, Executive Director of the UK Children’s Parliament, emphasised the importance of this endeavour: “Children have open minds. Primary school is the right age to start learning about money, and even complex financial instruments.”
Former Chairman on the UK Government backed The Start-up Loans company, James Caan CBE, added his thoughts on the Children’s Parliament hailing it: “an excellent idea and long overdue.”
The interview with Davies marks the inaugural event in Shekar’s series aimed at demystifying finance through conversations with City of London luminaries.
In October 2021, Adult Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP was ‘grilled’ by Child MPs from Amesbury Primary School in Hindhead, Surrey for the inaugural Children’s Parliament.
MP for south west Surrey Jeremy Hunt meeting and answering questions from pupils at Amesbury Primary school, Hindhead, Surrey. Picture by Steve Reigate
Supported by Wakelet, Microsoft 365, and media partners Business Matters Magazine and The Express, the Children’s Parliament is in its third year of empowering young voices.
Veteran traders Ed Davies and Lane Clark from TPP serve as advisers, ensuring a robust financial literacy curriculum.
As the next generation takes the lead, this innovative initiative promises to shape a financially savvy future for Britain’s youth.
