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| Sunday, 31 August 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Move to create enterprising minds The Government is considering introducing entrepreneurship as a distinct subject and discipline in schools at secondary and post-secondary levels. A paper has been submitted for Cabinet approval by Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Ravi Karunanayake, the Sunday Observer learns. The aim of introducing this as a separate subject in the school curriculum is to inculcate an "enterprising, innovative and risk bearing" mind set in our people, right from the formative stages of their personality development in the secondary schools. Certain developed countries like Norway and Asian countries like Singapore have already introduced "entrepreneurship" as a distinct subject discipline in schools although these countries have a significant presence of professional "entrepreneur class". This vital subject is not presently taught in our schools as an independent subject, but only receive passing and sketchy references in Commerce subjects at the secondary school level and in the Economics and Commerce stream at post-secondary level. It has been the experience in both developed and developing countries that high rates and levels of rapid and sustained economic growth achieved by them is attributable among other factors to the strong presence of an indigenous entrepreneurial class willing, able and prepared to undertake risk bearing as a fully-fledged professional activity when it comes to embarking on commercially viable ventures. A professional entrepreneurial class with strong willingness, capacity and preparedness to venture into business activities in all viable spheres in the economy is absolutely necessary to the success of our economic development activities. The Government policy document 'Regaining Sri Lanka' has placed high emphasis on the development of opportunities for self-employment and small and medium industries together with radical and far-reaching reforms of our educational system with a view to responding to the needs of the economy. Since Sri Lanka has neither the legacy of the industrial technological revolution nor the inherited practice of entrepreneurship, it is important that the cultivation of an entrepreneurial mind set among our people should begin at secondary school level. The proposed introduction of entrepreneurship as a separate subject in schools is aimed at bringing about a sea change and a significant shift in the traditional mind set of people and the scale of values in our society which is heavily oriented towards entering traditional professions and the public service. Therefore, providing instructions in the concepts and practice of entrepreneurship by means of a well-structured and pragmatically oriented syllabus to be designed by authoritative experts in this area will definitely fill a continuing void in the school curricula. (SG) |
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