Should Entrepreneurship be a Subject in Schools ? Schools that encourage entrepreneurship are likely to create thought leaders whose creativity is limitless
By Nidhi Singh
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
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Off late, courses based on entrepreneurship have been launched in various colleges and schools to help aspiring entrepreneurs. Many students spend their entire life dreaming about starting their own venture. As a business owner, it's always wise to have a required set of skills and knowledge. But the real question is "Can entrepreneurship be taught in schools"?. Several entrepreneurs and scholars have voiced their opinion on this ongoing debate. We have many examples around us like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who don't have a college degree. These examples somewhere prove that the concept of entrepreneurship as a subject in the classroom is not required at all.
Entrepreneur India spoke to few experts to know their stand on this topic:
Learning from An Early Age:
Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director, MBD Group feels entrepreneurship should be definitely taught in schools.
"We all must be aware of the changes happening around us and schools must produce the doers, makers and cutting-edge thinkers that the world so desperately needs. Teaching entrepreneurship in schools will help us in instilling critical-thinking, communication and collaboration skills in the students which will not only help them navigate their uncertain future but also succeed in life in the longer run," she said.
Malhotra also added that learning entrepreneurship early will also empower them to be innovators, problem solvers and maybe even invent their own careers if the need be.
In today's era of rapid growth and the growing importance of the digital media, has created numerous opportunities for the younger generation in terms of employment. Entrepreneurship has become a widely discussed word of the decade.
Adopt Practical And Learning Ways:
Realizing the importance of entrepreneurship and its share in the Indian economy, Narendra Goidani, Founder, Lifeschool personally feels that it is important that schools should integrate a subject that would highlight the skill set required to become an entrepreneur.
"As entrepreneurship cannot be taught theoretically, schools should adopt practical and learning ways so that people can incorporate those experiences into their real life if they plan to become an entrepreneur. Practical knowledge given at that stage is of importance as it makes it easier for you to adjust to the real environment," he stressed.
Creating Thought Leaders :
As a school leader and an entrepreneur, Kunal Dalal, Managing Director of JBCN International School believes that encouraging entrepreneurship from a young age is a step in the right direction.
"Everyone believes that when you go to college you can learn how to be an entrepreneur. But entrepreneurship has no age limit; you can become an entrepreneur and come up with an idea, solution or a product even while you are in school. Schools that encourage entrepreneurship are likely to create thought leaders whose creativity is limitless," he added.
