An increase in students applying to study， economics at university is being attributed to the global economic crisis awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works. Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January， according to UCAS， the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up. Professor John Beath， the president of the society and a leading lecture at St Andrews University， said his first-year lectures which are open to students from all departments--were drawing crowds of 400， rather than the usual 250. "There are a large number of students who are not economics majors， who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to ~'elate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn't traditionally done. " He added. University applications rose 7% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15%，jump， with people's renewed interest in caters in the pubic sector， which are seen as more secure in economic crisis. A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters， and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on， although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain. Zack Hocking， the head of Child Trust Funds， said: "It's possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that's financially wiser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty." In the opinion of most parents__________.