Entrepreneurship in schools should be encouraged

We’ve recently had the Euro 2020 championship here in the UK, and as always there is plenty of merchandise to buy.

At the start of the season I had bought my son the sticker album and overtime he had collated a fair number of stickers, some of which were swaps.

I said to him one afternoon, why don’t you take those swaps into school and swap them with your mates. I was shocked when he said “the teachers don’t allow us”.

Since when did it become so wrong to swap stickers with your friends in the playground during lunch or break time?

I can remember when I was at school, my very first business venture was the selling of pens, rubbers, stationary and anything else I could lay my hands on. I wouldn’t always make money, but I’d make enough for some extra food at the canteen.

Today, there are numerous cases of children being reprimanded and in some, what I would regard as extreme cases even expelled for selling products to other students in school.

I’m a big believer that entrepreneurship, providing it isn’t being done during lesson time, is perfectly ok. It comes down to one thing, supply and demand.

If the school can’t provide the supply that is demanded by the students, then why shouldn’t a student say I’ll supply the product and make a few pennies. I understand the ethics and policies, but where is the sense in holding back a student from doing something he is both good at and enjoys.

Entrepreneurship can teach children a lot about the world that they live in. It can teach them to be self sufficient, self reliant, self disciplined and self respect. It can also show them how to make money, and that cannot be a bad thing for any child to learn.

I do think, and I certainly wish it was offered, that schools need to rethink the academia that is being taught.

Rather than praising the hard work that is being done, praising the child for showing clear innovation, smart thinking and business acumen.