We’re in the midst of an entrepreneurial revolution. Everywhere you turn, there is news coverage about being an entrepreneur or training being offered for small business owners. A key question is whether the concept of entrepreneurship fits into the Jamaican school curriculum. Does it make sense to teach children the value of owning a business and managing money?
Given the entrepreneurial wave, our schools may have no choice but to embrace entrepreneurship. If students learn from an early age about business and money, they can become better equipped to deal with the challenges involved with budgeting, finance and starting businesses as they grow older. Taking well thought out calculated risks is also another important quality that can be taught to children under the scope of entrepreneurship.
The earlier students are taught to have an open mind about new opportunities, the more it will encourage them to grow—personally, academically and professionally. By being taught how to think like an entrepreneur, they can learn what ‘thinking outside-the-box’ truly involves as they become risk-takers.
Entrepreneurship can also teach students - both primary and high - the value of perseverance. Starting a business involves risks and failures, so educating them to have determination will help them deal with the challenges along the way. Adopting the mindset of an entrepreneur at an early age can have a positive impact on children because it encourages them to follow their passions and interests.
If schools gradually start to include entrepreneurship as part of their curriculum, it would go a long way to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs.
