Written by Edie, Rimu

Banqer

This term, Ruma Rimu has started using the Banqer system.

Each student has a pretend bank account.

You have to earn money to be able to pay your rent for your desk (which is $400 per fortnight). You can earn money by applying for one of the classroom jobs such as: Energy Monitor, Technology Support, Lost Property, Equipment Manager, Blogger, Lunch Area Monitor etc. You can also earn bonuses for doing your homework, good behaviour and getting a certificate etc.

As well as earning money you can also lose money by being fined for excluding others, being rude in front of a visitor, not listening, breaking cyber safety rules and general bad behaviour amongst other things.

If you can’t afford your rent, you get evicted from your desk and have to work on the floor!

Once you get enough money you can buy your desk and not have to pay rent. If you have bought your own desk and you have enough money, you can also buy other people’s desks and make them pay the rent to you!

At the end of the term there is an auction. You can buy things like vouchers, toys, treats and stationery. At the end of the year there is a market day where you get split into companies and make merchandise to sell. Parents trade New Zealand dollars for Banqer dollars to pay for items at the market.

Everyone wants to be at the top of the leaderboard and learning financial literacy is fun using the Banqer system.