School News

Top 3 Reasons Why Students Need to Learn to Think like an Entrepreneur

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Feb 26, 2018

If you say “education needs to change”, there aren’t many people likely to disagree. But unfortunately not many ground-breaking changes have been made in schools in the last 50 years.

Many today are coming out of our school systems yet cannot seem to fit into the world anymore. While following instructions and set-piece guidelines used to form the baseline to a financially rewarding career arc, these days, graduates must anchor their value in their ability to communicate, cooperate and solve problems.

The education system needs a revamp and has to look at teaching and learning in new ways to prepare kids for this vastly different world. Unfortunately, systemic changes to a complex framework entrenched in tradition is an enormous undertaking and will take more time than our upcoming generation of students have.

We have to be honest and acknowledge that currently, the vast majority of schools still prepare their students for the world of yesterday, where long-term job security was more common and industries did not shift at the pace they do now. So if the vast majority of students graduate into a world where this is not the case, one of our biggest concerns should be addressing the fact that schools still continue to prepare students for a world which no longer exists.

So, what then will make the difference?

Simply put, an entrepreneurial education is what’s going to set young people apart and prepare them for success. Here are 3 reasons why:

The world is changing, and our young people need to be agile

Let’s just consider for a moment what it takes to start and run a sustainable business: It requires the ability to solve complex issues, think critically and work well with others. It also requires sensitivity to external forces, grit, the ability to make good decisions and think about multiple concepts at the same time (cognitive flexibility), just to name a few.

A quick scan of the list of top skills needed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by the World Economic Forum will show that these are just the skills young people need to get very good at. In order to thrive in an increasingly VUCA world (characterized by greater Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity), building these critical soft skills is what is going to enable them to adapt and equip them to thrive.

The entrepreneurial mindset and stories to tell

The powerful thing about integrating entrepreneurial education into primary and secondary learning is that it unlocks vast opportunities to practice and build highly prized skills in multiple contexts.

The point is not necessarily for every student to become an entrepreneur, but for every student to at least be able to think like one. This way, even if students eventually decide to work for a company as an employee, they still possess greater value as they are able to think for their employer.

What we have found is when young people are provided the opportunity, guidance and a safe environment to let their ideas materialise, extraordinary things happen. They accumulate personal stories to tell, including stories of failure, which are often the most powerful teachers.

The ability to create jobs and generate wealth

We have to ask ourselves: Is preparing students to become just good employees what we want out of our schooling system?

Our vision is for young people to graduate and have choices: look for a job or create jobs for others.

We believe empowering students with greater opportunity is not only beneficial for them, but also for society and the economy at large.

We have witnessed first-hand the ability for students to generate wealth through providing valuable products and services, even while they are still at school. We are currently grooming 30 Powerpreneurs (students who have started and are running businesses) in businesses that span across various industries at Dwi Emas International School.

Some of Dwi Emas International School’s Powerpreneurs: (From left) Jed (aged 15) helms Spadeit.co, a streetwear clothing line; Myra (aged 15) runs social enterprise Gratitude Ten supporting children with cancer; Shailaja (aged 8) offers custom tea blends with her business Bloom Teas; Jonathan (aged 14) has customized a new line of inks with Irocipher.

Year 10 student Myra shares about her social enterprise, Gratitude Ten, which directs part of its proceeds toward helping 5-year-old Ethan, who suffers from leukemia, raise funds for his treatment.

Dwi Emas’ business owners (students and teachers), also known as Powerpreneurs, posing for a group photo at the conclusion of the Dwi Emas Int. School Trade Fair in November 2017.

Ultimately, we believe in the enormous potential of young people, and we know what entrepreneurial education can unlock in them. At the heart of Dwi Emas International is this: We believe in growing a generation of pioneers who are the creators of opportunity and value in society – people who are equipped and empowered to drive change; the kind who will leave the world in a better state than when they first came into it.

Find out more about entrepreneurial education at www.dwiemas.edu.my