Treasury offers students 'Challenge for their Lifetime'

The Treasury has launched its inaugural Long-Term Fiscal Schools Challenge and staff are this week holding workshops with secondary schools around the country.

Schools have been invited to propose policy options that address New Zealand’s long-term fiscal challenges, offering Year 12 and 13 students the chance to put themselves in the shoes of the Treasury in analysing and advising on one of the major issues facing governments across the world.

“The Treasury is interested in encouraging fresh ideas and a healthy public debate about the long-term fiscal challenges facing society,” Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf said.

“This is a challenge for the students’ lifetime - the ageing of our population is expected to have wide-ranging fiscal implications for government tax and spending programmes in the future, and the students’ generation will be directly affected.”

Students will work in teams to prepare analytical research papers, and selected teams will in May be invited to deliver presentations to a panel of judges from the Treasury and Victoria University of Wellington.

The winning team will be announced in June, with prizes sponsored by Victoria University.

“The challenge will also promote the study of economics and related disciplines in schools and provide students with an insight into what a career in public policy could involve,” Mr Makhlouf said.

The schedule of participating schools follows. Media that wish to attend workshops must contact Serene Ambler, ph (04) 917 6163 or [email protected]  to register their interest.

Further information is available here:

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/longterm/schoolschallenge

Read the 2012 Long-Term Fiscal Schools Challenge questions and answers: ltfs-qanda.pdf (54 KB).