11 Economics

Students will study:
•Economic decision making of consumers and producers.
•What is the market system and how in free market economies, prices set by the interaction of supply and demand allocate scarce resources.
•The New Zealand Economy and gain insight into how it works.

By studying economics, students will consider how New Zealanders are affected by the economic decision-making of individuals, communities, businesses, and government agencies in New Zealand and overseas.

Economics students explore decisions that directly affect their lives, such as:
- whether to do homework or go to a movie
- extract mineral resources today or save them for the future
- charge the full price or subsidise education to make it more accessible.

- remove GST on fresh fruit and vegetables.

Course fee of $30 covers the Elearneconomics online learning resource, and the field trip to Waihi Mine to study producer decisions.

Q.  What is the difference between Accounting and Economics?

Even though they are both “businessy” subjects, they are completely different. 

Decision making in business can be assisted using financial information. 

Accounting helps us to understand financial information and make important decisions like improving profitability or investment decisions. Topics include; Xero, Cashflow, Spreadsheeting, Forecasting, Financial Documents and of course Financial Statements.

Economics is more about the environment that our business operates in. Studying this subject helps you to understand how the markets work that you sell your product to, and how the economy around you impacts your business. 

Q. Can I do both?

Yes. If you have space in your timetable, students find that they complement each other really well and are completely different to each other. None of the achievement standards overlap.

Q. Can I move between subjects over 3 years?

Yes, they can be picked up at any stage, if you are dedicated enough to catch up on the content from the previous years.

Q. Where does it lead to?

Both subjects operate in the context of the “real world” and are highly relevant to what is actually happening “out there”.

Many Year 13 students that go on to tertiary study, study a Business/Commerce degree. These require both Economics and Accounting in the first year, thus the student is well positioned to move to the tertiary level content.

For those that don’t carry on to tertiary study, the learning and knowledge about the way in which the economy/business works and how both individuals and organisations can make good financial decisions is invaluable. As are the practical skills developed in both courses.