Does financial education reduce financial exclusion?

The article aims to determine the relationship between the level of the financial and economic competences and the financial exclusion. The analysis was based on the research by The National Bank of Poland and The Kronenberg's Foundation at Citibank. The results of the research indicate that Polish society lacks the most important knowledge in the field of personal finance, financial institutions and foreign currency market. One of the vital reasons for such situation appears to be a really low quality of instruction given at secondary schools as a part of „The introduction to entrepreneurship” subject. Firstly, due to students' lack of the appropriate approach towards broadening their financial knowledge. Secondly, the curriculum of the subject is built inadequately and does not support the development of students' entrepreneurial skills and increasing their knowledge of personal finances. Two major types of financial exclusion linked to the level of financial and economic competences determined by financial education were identified and discussed in this article. The first type is self-exclusion meant as an individual decision to resign from the benefits of using financial products and services. The second one is over-indebtedness, resulting from irresponsibly committing to debts or making risky decisions in terms of currency products. There is growing recognition that financial education has an important role to play in financial inclusion. Financial education is a mean to combat financial exclusion providing understanding of personal finance concepts, improving skills, increasing motivation and level of confidence to make informed financial choices and to participate in economic life