Whenever I have conversations with my students about money, entrepreneurship, or financial success, the answer comes quickly and without hesitation: “I want to make a lot of money, ma’am!” But when we try to define what “a lot” means or understand why they want it, hesitation appears. Behind this desire often lies an unclear relationship with money, effort, balance, and, most importantly, meaning.

This is precisely where our decision at Genesis College came from to be the first private high school in Romania to open the economics and business management profile within the Romanian system, complemented by the IB program. We believe that the relationship with money must be understood, not just desired. And for that, children need to be educated early to understand Economics not as a theoretical subject, but as a way to understand the world and make responsible decisions.

As contemporary learning theorists emphasize, real learning happens at the intersection of content, stimulation, and interaction. It is not just about accumulating information but a complex process involving meaning, attitudes, motivation, emotion, critical thinking, and practical applicability. Any relevant educational theory today must consider the three dimensions of human development: cognitive, emotional, and social. Teaching Economics in isolation, without context or applicability, means ignoring exactly what helps young people understand real economic life.

That is why what we do in class must go beyond the barriers between “theory” and “practice.” Economics, perhaps more than any other subject, must be taught interdisciplinarily and contextually, in dialogue with math, history, psychology, geography, and social sciences. Only then can we develop in students not just knowledge, but also meaning, personal “functionality” (knowing what to do with what you know), and the ability to make balanced decisions in a complex world.

Economy for the Future: Why we need an interdisciplinary and global approach to teaching Economics

In a world undergoing continuous economic, social, and technological transformation, the way we teach Economics in schools must keep pace with reality. Teaching Economics can no longer be theoretical, abstract, and disconnected from real life. It must become applied, global, and interdisciplinary. In this context, it is worth comparing two very different approaches: the Romanian national Economics curriculum and the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum for Economics and Business Management.

The Romanian Curriculum: A theoretical subject, weakly connected to reality

In the Romanian system, Economics is an optional subject taught in the 11th grade, with a frequency of one, at most two hours per week. In 11th grade, many students haven’t yet decided whether to attend ASE or other economic faculties. Therefore, interest is even lower. The content structure is predominantly theoretical and focused on basic concepts: demand, supply, market, prices, inflation, GDP, the role of the state. Although these topics are important, they are often presented in abstract language, without links to students’ everyday reality. Practical applications, case studies, and interaction with the real economy are missing. Evaluation is largely based on reproducing theory, not on analyzing or applying it in real contexts. Moreover, interdisciplinarity is practically non-existent, and connections with other fields (geography, history, sociology, mathematics – statistics) are absent.

The IB Curriculum: applied, global, student-centered Economics

Unlike the Romanian approach, in the IB curriculum, Economics and Business Management are separate subjects, structured at two levels (Standard Level and Higher Level), spanning over two years of study. The curriculum covers Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, global Economics, and the economies of developing countries, but what truly makes it different is the method of teaching and assessment.

Students must not only understand concepts but also apply them in real contexts, analyze economic policies, compare data, and argue their points. Additionally, they complete an individual Internal Assessment (IA) based on a current economic news article, formulating an analysis using relevant diagrams and theories.

For example, an article about China’s economic measures in response to US policies becomes an ideal starting point for lessons on international trade, protectionist policies, and global economic relations. These are topics that 11th and 12th graders study at Genesis College!

Teaching through real news: from theory to critical thinking

For each economic diagram, students learn at least one real example from a current source. Then, in lessons and assessments, they are encouraged to connect theoretical concepts with real-life situations such as inflation in Argentina, monetary policy in the USA, or the effects of drought on agricultural prices.

This method has several advantages:

1. Increases motivation – students see the direct relevance of what they learn.
2. Engages critical thinking – they no longer memorize definitions but learn to judge economic decisions.
3. Develops 21st-century skills – analysis, evaluation, communication, and source usage.
4. Prepares for global reality – students understand economics not only from a national perspective but in its interaction with the world.

In comparison, economics teaching in Romania produces students who know “what GDP is” but cannot explain why GDP growth does not always mean prosperity or how an energy crisis affects shelf prices.

Why do we need an interdisciplinary approach?

Economics does not exist in a vacuum. It is influenced by geopolitical, social, technological, ecological, and many other factors. Therefore, economic thinking must be interdisciplinary.

In IB, economics is frequently connected, even from middle school, with:

• Geography – resource distribution, global trade, sustainability.
• History – economic crises, development models, economic ideologies.
• Sociology – inequality, poverty, consumer behavior.
• Business Management – entrepreneurial decisions, markets, strategies.
• Mathematics and statistics – for reading, interpreting, and modeling economic data, using indicators (such as GDP, inflation, price elasticity, etc.), creating graphs, and understanding the meaning behind the numbers of decisions. Without solid quantitative reasoning, Economics becomes vague discourse. Students must know how to calculate, compare, and evaluate concrete data, distinguish between correlation and causation, and understand margins of error or the significance of statistical averages in real contexts.

Students studying Economics this way, gain a complex vision, learn to understand context, and formulate solutions. They are precisely the type of citizens and leaders the world needs.

In Romania, subjects are still taught in isolation. Real interdisciplinary projects between Economics and other subjects are rare. This isolation reduces the relevance and applicability of knowledge.

Relevance for the Future

Facing climate crises, job automation, rising inequalities, and digital transformation, economic education must develop awareness and competence. Students must understand how economic systems work, how they can be influenced, and how they can contribute to a sustainable and equitable economy.

This approach provides a clear framework:

• Students learn to analyze critically.
• Use real data.
• Connect economics to their lives.
• Propose solutions for the future, not just memorize past information.

This type of education does not produce just economists but engaged citizens, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

Conclusion

Economics is more than a subject. It is a way of thinking, understanding the world, and living responsibly. If we want to prepare young people who do not just “make money” but understand, manage, and use it meaningfully, we must offer them authentic, interdisciplinary, and reality-based economic education.

At Genesis College, we chose to be pioneers in this regard because we know economic education is not only about the financial future of our students but about the moral, civic, and professional future of the society in which they will live!

Ioana Necula, Founder-President Genesis College