In human society, schools for centuries have helped students to forge their own identity by empowering them with knowledge. It is for this reason that we still fondly remember all our teachers who have played a big part in highlighting to us our true potential. However, in the last decade or so due to the rise of ‘Digital Revolution’, and also the arrival of pandemic at our doorstep it is entrepreneurship and not just a profession that has emerged as an appealing choice for many. However, here’s the catch in this age of opportunity, unless you’re equipped with the right skill set, running a business can prove to be a bumpy road, and that is why it is necessary to inculcate entrepreneurship skills in people as early as possible, even as early as school. Here is then presenting to you how Entrepreneurial skills can be developed in a school.    

 

With the kind of ‘Digital’ tools available today, it certainly seems that the ‘Age of the Entrepreneur’ has arrived. It is therefore necessary that Schools should make it a priority to produce innovative entrepreneurs who can take the country’s economy to new heights.  For example, Delhi government’s initiative to introduce an entrepreneurial curriculum in schools on a fourfold framework – ‘inspire, educate, involve and facilitate,’ is quite commendable and will play a major role in realizing this dream.  If such programs encourages certain students to show an inclination to pursue the path to entrepreneurship, then schools should offer more such opportunities where they can nurture and grow to their full potential.

  

Furthermore, it was in 1978 that Ministry of Education introduced a new subject, Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW). The purpose of introducing this subject was to help children develop necessary non-academic skills, which would aid them later in life and help them understand the importance of collaboration and community building. Painting, Origami, Cooking, and Gardening are just a few of the many different activities that are conducted as a part of the SUPW curriculum. 

Encouragement of Project Based Learning in schools to develop essential entrepreneurial skills in students: 

One important quality that every entrepreneur needs, despite the domain he/she is working in, is the ability to think out-of-the-box. Now, while some people are naturally gifted with creativity, it certainly is a skill that can be enhanced with practice. In this regards, The New Education Policy 2020, which emphasizes the importance of project-based learning and offers alternatives to rote learning – which to be frank, is only good for scoring marks in an examination, will help the students a lot. 

The implementation of this policy will also mean that, Indian schools will assign project work to students and they will have to come up with creative ideas while executing them. This in turn will pave the way for multidimensional learning as opposed to linear learning. Skills like creative thinking, ideation, goal-setting, planning, time management, teamwork, and collaboration are crucial to entrepreneurship; coincidentally, these are also the skills that one can develop doing project work.  

In any field be it in a profession or when it comes to wanting to be an entrepreneur Children love to have role models from whom they can get inspired, learn, and grow. When they see someone, who has followed the path that they are thinking of following and has gained success while doing so, they too get inspired to pursue their dreams. Not to mention that face-to-face interaction with an industry expert will open new doors to learning. The students will be able to better understand the challenges that the market poses in front of fresh entrepreneurs; they will also get an idea of what approaches only work in theory and what approaches are practical when it comes to solving those challenges. Besides guest lectures, the schools should also conduct industrial visits to give students an idea of what a business environment looks like and how different moving parts come together to form a well-oiled machine. 

Most importantly though, the schools should focus on creating a fun and interactive learning environment that promotes inquisitiveness and creativity in a child’s mind. The Indian education system can sometimes be too rigid and unyielding and this causes students to lose interest in their passions. 

In simple words, to develop young entrepreneurs and future forward-thinking business leaders, a nurturing, and positive education environment is what is needed.