Inside a St. Thomas classroom, lessons about math and economics

On top on everything else that comes with being a Grade 4 student, nine-year-old Ezra Belanger has an important decision to make: He has to figure out if he wants to buy or rent his desk. 

"I'm going to rent my desk, because I think that renting won't have as much pressure as it does for other people who are buying their desk who have to take out a loan," he said. 

Belanger's classmate, nine-year-old Izzy Harrison, has a different plan. 

"I'm going to buy, because I think toward the end of the year I can keep my whole paycheque and spend it," she said. 

Ezra, Izzy and their classmates are learning about the economy. Every student in Rachel Wilson's grade 3 and 4 class has a job, from banker to gardener, and they earn a salary that can buy them goods and services in class. 

"I assigned the jobs, and then we signed a contract stating that they agree to pay rent, they'll get paid every two weeks, and then they have to choose whether to rent or buy their desk," Wilson said. 

Wilson hopes the lessons will teach her students how to manage money. 

"The Grade 4 curriculum is talking about managing money, and how to spend it responsibly, earn it and invest it. We're also going to hopefully improve their mental math skills," she said. 

Ezra is a banker, the highest paid job in the class. And he thinks he's learning some important lessons. "One of the hardest things about my job is probably all the addition and subtraction. I really approve of how I get to know people, and how they're doing with their currency," he said. 

"I can take using currency in different ways, and using mathematics, and then having a good relationship with other people." 

The lesson is going to continue until the end of the school year.