Abstract:

Literacy is a concept that has been associated with the education of individuals for a long time. Nowadays, we no longer see literacy as only the ability to read and write or calculate. A literate person can currently be able to fully integrate into society. He therefore possesses such a spectrum of competences that sufficiently provides him with the appropriate adaptation to the conditions and requirements of society for full functioning in society, i.e., the fulfilment of his own needs in the intentions of social possibilities. This concept of literacy can be referred to as functional literacy. In the view of this paper, I focus on financial and digital literacy, as relatively new areas of literacy and competence that are included in the curriculum. Moreover, in both mentioned literacies, their concept as functional literacies are evident, due to their use in everyday life in common situation by almost everyone. Living aside the discussion of whether literacy is a prerequisite for the use of competencies, or whether competencies are a prerequisite for acquire literacy, it is possible to identify a significant link with functional literacy, both financial and digital literacy, to competencies that can be supported within the educational process and by using appropriate didactic and methodological procedures to develop competencies. The curriculum in the Czech Republic has been intensively innovated in recent years, in connection with the approved education policy strategy, and in this context the issue of financial and digital competences is becoming part of the professional discussion. In the paper, I present the definition of financial and digital literacy in accordance with the concept of functional literacy. Following from functional literacy, I specify competencies that are related to such concept of financial and digital literacy. These identified competencies are reflected in relation to current trends in the development of financial and digital literacy through competency frameworks, both with respect to the development of competencies of pupils and their development among the teachers as prerequisites form pupils’ competencies development. This approach to the definition of financial and digital literacy and their mutual connection creates a usable basis for implementation in the elementary and secondary school curriculum.

Keywords:

Financial literacy, financial competencies, digital literacy, digital competencies.