Qualities like opportunity seeking, collaboration, empathy, saving resources, and mindfulness can be started right from primary classes and entrepreneurial skills inculcated from class VIII, avers Dr Priya Mary Mathew, Founder of Eukaria Academy and Senior Lecturer at Torrens University, Australia
When is the right age to teach students entrepreneurial skills?
Entrepreneurial skills and mindset are two different aspects of development. Skills for an entrepreneur can be broadly named as planning, financial budgeting, marketing, team recruiting and building, special technical skills, digital skills, etc. Mindset is risk taking, patience, perseverance, emotional intelligence and resilience. Skills should be taught in secondary school from class VIII by way of problem solving projects and community service. Mindset has to be built up right from young age. Qualities like opportunity seeking, collaboration, empathy, saving resources, and mindfulness can be started right from primary classes. Methodology of these skills and mindset has to be experiential. Taking students to hospitals, orphanages and then asking them “How will you help them?” can trigger empathy and problem solving. Masterclasses by traders and CEOs in the classrooms can trigger mindset formation because of storytelling methods. ‘Skills should be taught ‘Skills should be taught ‘Skills should be taught
There is a belief that research is only confined to the field of science?
Research is not only confined to science. Research is across all disciplines of knowledge – arts, humanities, commerce, science, technology, design, fashion, communication, etc. Most of us relate research with verbal display of knowledge. Very few are aware that design and fashion research is also done in form of illustrations, installations, log book, portfolio, process diary, material exploration journal, prototypes, etc. There are institutes in UK that accept PhD thesis in form of cartoons. Research has evolved with time. India has yet to break away from traditional methods and processes.
What is the secret behind making learning interesting for children in a classroom?
My tip to teachers is ‘do not teach’ make the learners ‘learn’. Unfortunately, most of the teachers teach the way they had learned – which in present age is ‘lecture’ based. My advice to teachers is to use at least three different methods of teaching in a class of 60 minutes. I would divide a class into four parts. One part will be revision in form of game, second will be knowledge sharing in form of video/presentation, third will be a role play/physical activity and final will be lecture. The aim is to use varied methods so that all kinds of learners- visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic – are engaged.
It is time to look beyond finishing the syllabus and dare to disrupt the traditional systems and processes
How can schools broaden their international reach?
It is important for schools to broaden their global footprint. The millennial and centennial generation will have workplace with international people as peers. So, activities like student exchange and faculty exchange, study abroad, immersion week should be designed especially for senior students. The exposure to citizens of various countries will expose students to their culture and way of thinking. This is important to develop global mindset in future citizens of the industry, free of racism and judgement. Internationality is important for it is part of 21st century workplace.
It is challenging and confusing for schools and parents to create career opportunities for students of 11th and 12th. Your comments.
Students of class XI and XII should be exposed to various kinds of industry sectors and given workshops to develop ‘skill sets’. This can be done in form of volunteering and internship. These high school students can volunteer for hospitals, NGOs and various government agencies. They can intern in organizations like Pizza Hut, Lifestyle, MaxHealth, etc. Also, I strongly advise getting psychometric test for ‘professional profiling’. These tests reveal more than 100 jobs that ‘fit’ the personality of the student. I have seen in my counselling that this tool is extremely useful to young students because they not only come to know what their potential is, they also know which stream of studies to choose after class X, XII and graduation.