Should Bitcoin Be Taught in Schools or Remain Self-Taught? Here’s My Take

[Alphakilo]

I think that rather than relying solely on individuals to learn on their own, Bitcoin and more general crypto education ought to be taught in schools.

Nowadays, the majority of people learn about money informally through friends, social media, or trial and error. People jump in without knowing the fundamentals, which frequently results in miscommunication, fraud, and expensive errors. Before they face risks in the real world, students would receive a structured and well-rounded education on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

I hold this opinion for a number of reasons.

1. It will develop early financial literacy.

Digital finance and the changing concept of money are not covered in many traditional financial education curricula. According to studies, parents and recent graduates believe that formal crypto education is beneficial because it enables young people to make informed decisions and comprehend new financial tools rather than learning by accident or hype.

read more: https://www.kidsmoney.org/news/parents-want-schools-to-teach-cryptocurrency/

2. It will prepare students for the future economy.

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are no longer just specialized technology; they are now a part of digital infrastructure and international finance. To help students stay relevant in the digital economy, blockchain and cryptocurrency modules are starting to be added to schools and even universities worldwide.

read more: https://dailyguardian.com.ph/crypto-and-blockchain-education-gain-significant-traction-in-philippine-universities/

3. It will protect individuals against scams and misinformation.

Lack of knowledge is a major factor in people falling for fraudulent schemes; many don't fully comprehend what they're purchasing or how it operates. Teaching cryptocurrency in schools can help students identify scams early and lessen risk-taking motivated by hype or fear.

read more: https://www.bworldonline.com/sparkup/2022/05/23/450112/edutech-platform-bitskwela-helps-filipinos-understand-bitcoin-cryptocurrency-better/

4. It supports broader financial inclusion.

Understanding digital assets could improve financial access and opportunity for many communities that have historically been underserved by traditional banking in a country like ours with high cryptocurrency adoption and sizable unbanked populations.

read more: https://www.coins.ph/en-ph/blog/why-local-language-education-holds-the-key-to-cryptos-future?

In your opinion, is it better to leave Bitcoin education to independent research and practical experience, or should it be formally taught in schools as part of financial literacy? I'd like to hear both sides' points of view.

Many Bitcoin users like myself had to learn how to handle and use it the hard way and by researching it and it was quite difficult at the start because some of us lost some of our coins due to insufficient knowledge and upgrades that we were slow to adapt to.
If Bitcoin is being taught in schools or higher institutions of learning, it would do well to improve individual and national economy and help the future success of Bitcoin adoption and cryptocurrency in the broader sense.

[Alpha Marine]

I don't think Bitcoin must be taught in schools. All that is needed is for the students to know what cryptocurrency and Bitcoin are. Everything in life cannot be taught in schools. What the school does is to open the minds of the students to be able to think for themselves and learn things for themselves.
Bitcoin is not something that should be pushed down the throats of people. People should be able to make a choice and decide to learn about it if they want to. Schools equip people for the real world, but they don't teach them everything about the real world. It is the knowledge they gain in schools that helps them make decisions in the real world.
An introduction to what Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are is all that is required in schools, in my opinion.

[Joy_learns_crypto]

Rather rely on bitcoin being taught in school you can learn it on your own, there are great teachers teaching bitcoin some daily on YouTube or else where on social media.
Student this days when preparing for exams it could be their professional exams they don’t only use what they are taught in school because so many professors and lecturers has classes on YouTube.

[Maslate]

If bitcoin alone, I think that it should be a self-taught subject but now that there are other cryptocurrency out there besides bitcoin, I think that the one that needs to be taught in school is the more general term which is cryptocurrency, maybe even just a dedicated chapter in any finance or tech related subjects in school would do the thing, most of the time, self-discovery of cryptocurrency is the best, introduction is the only thing that most people need most of the time.

I agree the school should not just stick to bitcoin if the aim is to create students awareness but definitely touch the whole cryptocurrency system in general.

It is already part of financial industry so it deserves to be acknowledged not just by the people who want to personally experience it but it should be recognized by general. And having cryptocurrency being taught in school is a good start so that at a young age, these students will be knowledgeable knowing that cryptocurrency can also be a life changer in the future if these young individuals will be able to maximize their cryptocurrency learnings and venture on it fearlessly.

[Hispo]

I believe the most important part of teaching about Blockchain and cryptocurrency technology in schools is securing the next generation of citizens in our societies are well aware of the common mechanisms which are used by scammers to try to get all our money at once.

There are people who are interested in Bitcoin and Blockchain technology and they assume it is a magical way to get insane yields which are not possible with traditional banking, so they fall for Ponzi scams which are obvious to anyone who can catch the red flags. There would be a course in high schools in all developing countries about how to avoid falling for scams related to the use of cryptocurrencies.

[PrivacyG]

It would be nice if they taught Bitcoin in schools but before Bitcoin there should be basic financial education taught in the first place.  People do not even know how to handle their devaluing Fiat, let alone Bitcoin.  If everybody knew at least the very basics of management of finances and saving, we would all be much more evolved in my opinion.  Schools teach you to be a good boy and kiss the feet of Banks and hyper inflated Dollar, how else would the rest of the multi Billionaires keep their status, right?

[Vaculin]

If the government will allow for bitcoin, or the cryptocurrency in general to be taught in school, I think it will be a lot better. But I guess that will only be possible if the government will see the real value of crypto first, otherwise the young minds will never experience being taught about cryptocurrency in schools.

But personally, I want my children to be educated about crypto, particularly bitcoin so that they will develop the interest on it at a young age, and they will realize that bitcoin isn't just a digital currency, but it creates bigger opportunities for everyone, its up to the people how they will take advantage on it. And it should start at school, aside from being taught at home.

[uchegod-21]

It would be nice if they taught Bitcoin in schools but before Bitcoin there should be basic financial education taught in the first place.  People do not even know how to handle their devaluing Fiat, let alone Bitcoin.  If everybody knew at least the very basics of management of finances and saving, we would all be much more evolved in my opinion.  Schools teach you to be a good boy and kiss the feet of Banks and hyper inflated Dollar, how else would the rest of the multi Billionaires keep their status, right?

Yea you are right. Any government that wants to include Crypto or Bitcoin in its school's curriculum is not supposed to ignore teaching the students basic financial education. The knowledge of financial education is supposed to prepare the students for the main knowledge they would be receiving and the main reason Bitcoin came into the picture in the first place.

But since th government is still more interested in protecting the fiat, I am afraid that even if they approve Bitcoin to be taught in schools, they will strictly monitor what is being taught and ensure that they students do not get exposed to certain information that gives Bitcoin Higher acceptance over the fiat. Being self taught may not be the best approach, but it is still necessary even even it is being taught in schools 

[jaberwock]

Personal is the best because you learn from your own pace and not with a school. That was my problem with school, I was never a smart kid and while there was a pace of the school that needed to reach so that it could end before the year ends, I was learning slower, and that is why I was never that good.

I wasn't bad, I did alright, I finished college, so not like I was some bad terrible student, but I was never at the top neither, I was mostly like 70% or 75% type of student not 100% student. When your interest decides everything then self learning would be the right approach. Moreover, bitcoin is advanced one which means when people are growing mature enough then they can learn on their own whereas basics (not related to bitcoin but all life's requirements) alone should be taught at schools.

[nakamura12]

I believe that it should be self-taught rather than taught in schools. It us true that it's good for bitcoin community when it is taught in schools but it won't be short since there are lots of topic that can be discussed about cryptocurrency so if it is taught in school then it will be incomplete in my opinion. Self-taught is much more better since you will have the time to learn it yourself without having go to a school just to learn it and even if you learn it yourself doesn't mean no one will help you learn. Take this forum as example and ask how many people learn about bitcoin because of this forum.

[Renampun]

Bitcoin should be self-taught because it was developed within the community from the beginning and is not something that needs to be taught by the government or educational institutions. although some institutions teach Bitcoin or cryptocurrency to their students, it is their own decision whether to teach it to their students or simply to entice them to enroll. however, people should learn Bitcoin on their own because it allows for more flexibility in their learning and can avoid things that institutions intentionally censor to distort their perceptions of Bitcoin.

[Kelvinid]

If bitcoin alone, I think that it should be a self-taught subject but now that there are other cryptocurrency out there besides bitcoin, I think that the one that needs to be taught in school is the more general term which is cryptocurrency, maybe even just a dedicated chapter in any finance or tech related subjects in school would do the thing, most of the time, self-discovery of cryptocurrency is the best, introduction is the only thing that most people need most of the time.

What the people need is just self-awareness and self-discovery towards the technology that bitcoin is capable to offer. These young people should not be taught how profitable it is, how successful it is as an investment, because they will only think that bitcoin is the key to end their poverty, and that continuous schooling may only be a waste of time.

They should know that bitcoin, or cryptocurrency in general is now part of the growing financial industry. And while some people prefer to use fiat, cryptocurrency also serves convenience to the people that's why some people also prefer using it.

[X-ray]

Remain self taught is better because the growth in crypto is fast and the curriculum won't catch up.

Moreover, not everything need to be taught and honestly knowledge absorption in school isn't that high to begin with. Just let them learn the basic and figure things out the same way people figured tax and its mechanism by their own.

Sometime, not teaching is better than teaching. If anybody is interested in crypto, they'd put some time delving into the world of crypto and learning it. What matter is teaching them how to count, etc.

[Catenaccio]

Remain self taught is better because the growth in crypto is fast and the curriculum won't catch up.

Moreover, not everything need to be taught and honestly knowledge absorption in school isn't that high to begin with. Just let them learn the basic and figure things out the same way people figured tax and its mechanism by their own.

Sometime, not teaching is better than teaching. If anybody is interested in crypto, they'd put some time delving into the world of crypto and learning it. What matter is teaching them how to count, etc.

People can start learning about Bitcoin with different entries, from self-learning, paid courses, free access resources or in-person learning with someone, it's all well to start with Bitcoin.

Later, as learning is a long process that is endless, they will have to be more proactively with learning, that means with time they will have to change from learning with a tutor to self-learning. If they already began with self-learning, they will need to focus more on it with time.

Bitcoin community have grown up a lot since 2009 and with time, the community have contributed more free access learning resources for newbies in Bitcoin community. It will become more easily to do Bitcoin self-learning with time than in the past when Bitcoin was just a baby, had risk of death anytime and its community were very smaller than now.

[free-bit.co.in]

In my opinion, Bitcoin is just one of many financial instruments/assets. That's not the kind of knowledge everyone needs, like math, foreign languages, and basic life skills. Therefore, introducing it into schools is unnecessary.

Education should focus on equipping students with basic life skills and critical thinking abilities so that they can self-assess and make decisions in life. Instead of focusing on a specific asset class or investment, education should aim to foster holistic financial literacy. That would be better and incredibly helpful for them because Bitcoin is not the only path to success.

[clifaduna]

In some countries, Bitcoin is banned, while in others it is in a "gray zone," its legal status remaining uncertain. What should people living in such countries do? Wait for courses or schools to open? It's much easier to get all the necessary information online, because even during our university studies we had to turn to online sources to get complete information. I am being cautious and not rushing into practice, but I understand that theory alone will not be enough.

[Ahli38]

Entering Bitcoin in the school curriculum perhaps become a reality. And the lessons would cover the basics of Bitcoin or even intermediate topics. But to study Bitcoin at an advanced level or even learn about the technology behind it need a special concentration. Perhaps such studies could be included as a major concentration in college. This would allow for more focused learning and a deeper understanding of its complexities. All of this will only be possible if the government supports Bitcoin or even supports decentralized systems. Learning about Bitcoin is not just about investment but also about the technology itself. Various majors could also include it as part of their curriculum. Bitcoin can be incorporated into almost all subjects if connected appropriately. Those are some of my thoughts.

[vanesha]

If there were a school about Bitcoin or crypto, I believe the cost would be quite expensive. This is all about money; those who study crypto and Bitcoin are also making an investment. Think of it like buying an online class with a professional mentor. However, this is general knowledge. If it is only the basics, such as an introduction to Bitcoin, its history, cryptocurrency in general (not in detail), trading, and analysis, that would be acceptable. It might be better if it were included as part of an economics subject.

[dunfida]

Remain self taught is better because the growth in crypto is fast and the curriculum won't catch up.

Moreover, not everything need to be taught and honestly knowledge absorption in school isn't that high to begin with. Just let them learn the basic and figure things out the same way people figured tax and its mechanism by their own.

Sometime, not teaching is better than teaching. If anybody is interested in crypto, they'd put some time delving into the world of crypto and learning it. What matter is teaching them how to count, etc.

People can start learning about Bitcoin with different entries, from self-learning, paid courses, free access resources or in-person learning with someone, it's all well to start with Bitcoin.

Later, as learning is a long process that is endless, they will have to be more proactively with learning, that means with time they will have to change from learning with a tutor to self-learning. If they already began with self-learning, they will need to focus more on it with time.

Bitcoin community have grown up a lot since 2009 and with time, the community have contributed more free access learning resources for newbies in Bitcoin community. It will become more easily to do Bitcoin self-learning with time than in the past when Bitcoin was just a baby, had risk of death anytime and its community were very smaller than now.

All matters with someones choice whether they would be learning it or they would be skipping it and believing into those things that they've heard that it was a scam. There are certain individuals who are just that believing usually when someone posted up some big amounts of money and this is usually the trigger on which they would be that deciding on learning it without even realizing that its not meant for making money but the tech behind Bitcoin or crypto itself. Should be taught up on schools? There are already some schools having some blockchain included into their curriculum on which this signifies that recognition is on the move.

Incase that you arent that seeing this one in school then you can make yourself self learn as the internet is just free to surf and make out some searches. There are just that those individuals who cant just that take up some step forward on learning things and they would be having some regrets at the time that they've found themselves getting left behind on whats the current trend.

[lizarder]

I think that rather than relying solely on individuals to learn on their own, Bitcoin and more general crypto education ought to be taught in schools.

Nowadays, the majority of people learn about money informally through friends, social media, or trial and error. People jump in without knowing the fundamentals, which frequently results in miscommunication, fraud, and expensive errors. Before they face risks in the real world, students would receive a structured and well-rounded education on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

I am open to any knowledge that is taught in school, but especially learning crypto or bitcoin openly needs to look at age because children at that age need to be taught their own character beforehand so that they can understand the responsibilities much better at that age. This can be applied at university level because children at that age should be taught education about how to make money properly with the potential that exists in crypto and in bitcoin itself.

Parents give school to their children so that they can recognize their own character and it is not time for those who are not yet mature to think about how to make money. Most likely just introducing the basics of cryptocurrency or another part of blockchain development or something similar and financial literacy is indeed the foundation but it must be based on maturity at the age of a child.