Govt to launch ‘entrepreneurship’ for classes IX-XII from next year

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The government has decided to introduce 'entrepreneurship curriculum' for students of classes IX-XII in its schools from next academic year.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has directed the education secretary to set up a high-powered working group having senior faculty members from State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) / District Institute of Education and Training, school principals and individuals having domain expertise as members.

“We need to instil confidence among our children in school right from the beginning of secondary education that after completing their education, they should aspire to be job givers and not job seekers,” Sisodia, Delhi’s education minister, said at the first convocation of Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University on its campus at Kashmere Gate.

Sisodia explained barring few exceptions, once the child completes elementary schooling and joins the secondary class, his entire orientation that is largely shaped by the teachers and parents is to secure good marks in exams, get admission in a good college and get a job with decent pay package after completing education.

“This is considered a trajectory of success and anyone, who either secures less marks or fails to join college or fails to secure a job is deemed as unsuccessful,” he said adding this trajectory is unsustainable and students will instead have to be made “job providers”.

As per the Aam Aadmi Party government, the curriculum shall be based on a four-fold framework, involving inspiring students through stories and case studies of entrepreneurial journeys, educating them through self-designed micro-research, encouraging participation of local community and facilitate them by supporting in developing ideas into projects.

Besides raising aspiration of students, the course would help in building problem solving and decision-making abilities among children with emphasis on personality development, communication, planning, etc.

The SCERT Delhi will organise a conference in January 2019, where it will invite organisations and individuals to present their ideas for designing the entrepreneurship curriculum as per the framework of the government to the working group. Based on the inputs received, the pilot curriculum shall be rolled out from April 2019 onwards.

The convocation, in which 1,161 students including around 504 undergraduates, 656 postgraduates and one doctorate were awarded degrees, LG Anil Baijal, Metro man E. Shreedharan,  vice chancellor Dr Amita Dev and Devendra Singh Nijjhar, secretary, higher education in Delhi government, were also present.