Ignorance of basic financial information is a huge problem in this country. I completely disagree with the premise that this type of course is a waste of time. Sure, it won't have a lasting impact for everyone, but some things from it will sink in and eventually make a difference for some of the students, and that is all that matters. It will have a bigger impact than most of courses students take, in my opinion.
My own parents are hopeless with money and I grew up in a low income neighborhood. In the 6th grade (6th!) our teacher set up a mock economy in the class, we got paid monopoly money for "jobs" in the classroom and had to pay rent on our desks, we had to balance our checkbooks for a grade, and we even filled out 1040 EZ tax returns in April. One of our projects during the year was to set aside money for a road trip vacation to the destination of our choice and then plan it with details including how much the gas would cost of the drive and how much the real hotel rooms would cost. No internet! We still called the 1-800 number for hotels and figured it out. It was fun. I stayed at a Best Western on my hypothetical fantasy trip. LOL, DREAM BIG! Most of my friends never got to do anything or go anywhere, so just having them dream about saving up the money first and then driving to the grand canyon or wherever made a big impact on all of us I think.
So, when it came time to file my real taxes, I knew it wasn't hard to do and I didn't need help. I always kept my checkbook balanced. I remember explaining to a college friend about how her plan to "only pay the minimum" on her credit card was costing her a ton of money (this was before the truth in lending disclosures they have on statements now), and I had learned that IN SIXTH GRADE!
The other thing I learned in school that made a useful impact on me are "don't talk to police" other than "I do NOT consent to a search, am I free to go? Am I being detained?" Lol, Mr. Valdez, this one's for you. That and get AAA in case you ever need a tow, illustrated with many entertaining stories from Mr. Valdez's beater car life. Dealing with police and being prepared if your car broke down were all he talked about for an entire semester. I think it was supposed to be a Civics class. 11th grade?