Students in the Year 12 ATAR Maths Applications course can now find the best value mortgage on their first home, thanks to real-life financial challenges presented by their teacher.  

Maths Secondary Teacher Mrs Jeanine Evers said the curriculum content is practical and relevant and teaches students financial skills for life.   

For a recent investigation, Mrs Evers asked students to investigate how to purchase a home and find the cheapest home loan over the life of the mortgage. They learned how to understand the different types of loans offered by banks and how to calculate interest.  

“It’s not just about learning maths for the sake of it. Whether it’s planning finances, making predictions or solving everyday problems, these skills will be valuable for students long after they finish school,” she said.  

The students have also learned about financial planning and building an investment portfolio. In their unit on time series analysis, they learned how to review data collected over time, and then to identify patterns and predict future trends.  

This will help them predict stock prices or interest rates and help make wise investment choices.