Financial Literacy Through Play: Hanfa Presents Educational Game Desitudo to Primary School Teachers
On 2 October 2025, the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (Hanfa) held the conference “Desitudo in the Classroom – Financial Literacy Through Play”, where it presented the educational board game Desitudo to Croatian primary school teachers. The game was originally designed by primary school pupils, developed with the support of Hanfa, and approved by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth as a suitable educational resource for primary schools.
At the opening of the event, Radovan Fuchs, Minister of Science, Education and Youth, emphasized the growing importance of financial literacy and the need to start developing it from an early age. “Board games introduce this subject to children in an engaging way. Since 2019, the cross-curricular subject Entrepreneurship has been implemented in all Croatian schools as a mandatory part of education, ensuring that students acquire lasting knowledge and skills.”
In his address, the President of Hanfa Board Ante Žigman emphasised: “Hanfa has made financial literacy an important priority in its work, and has been carrying out activities aimed at improving the financial literacy of children, young people and adults for many years.” He stressed the importance of cooperation with educational institutions and financial education of children from the earliest age. He described Desitudo as an excellent example of how receptive children can be to learning about finance when approached in the right way. He also announced that Hanfa will donate the game to all primary schools in Croatia by the end of the year.
The central part of the event featured a panel discussion titled “How Does Financial Literacy Enter the Classroom?”, moderated by Anja Tkalčević of Hanfa. Panelists included Verica Jovanovski from the Education and Teacher Training Agency, Vesna Vujević from the primary school “Osnovna škola Brestje”, Suzana Puškarić Žlimen from the primary school “Prva osnovna škola Ogulin”, and Andrea Vlahović from the primary school “Osnovna škola Petra Hektorovića”, Stari Grad.
Based on their experiences, panellists discussed various approaches to teaching financial literacy – from elective courses and special projects to extracurricular activities and competitions. They emphasised that pupils respond positively when financial topics are linked to real-life experiences, while teachers are increasingly interested in additional training to better convey this knowledge. Panellists also underlined the importance of support from head teachers and institutions to ensure the sustainability of such initiatives.
The conference also presented the results of Hanfa’s survey conducted among teachers and pupils, confirming strong interest among educators in financial literacy. Most teachers expressed support for its inclusion in the school curriculum. The results further showed that while pupils generally demonstrate a good level of financial knowledge and behaviour for their age, they require additional guidance on more complex topics such as saving, investing, and retirement.
At the close of the conference, participants had the opportunity to play Desitudo themselves, experiencing first-hand how a simple yet dynamic game can successfully convey essential financial concepts in a way that appeals to children and young people.
About the Educational Game Desitudo
The game was developed through a collaboration between Hanfa and the primary school “Osnovna škola Petra Hektorovića” from the island of Hvar, which won Hanfa’s 2022 competition “Financial Literacy Through Play”. Hanfa recognised the game as an innovative and engaging tool that helps primary school pupils learn to distinguish between wants and needs, as well as to understand the basics of insurance, capital markets, and pension systems. The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth approved the game in December 2023 as a suitable educational material for primary schools.
Hanfa has since incorporated Desitudo into its workshops and educational programmes aimed at strengthening financial literacy among children. Over 150 games have already been distributed to primary schools, and by the end of this year, Hanfa plans to donate the game to all primary schools in Croatia.
