Prepare students to become employers

NAIROBI: Following the release of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results, celebrations broke out in many parts of the country where individual students and schools registered outstanding performance.

The celebrations, however, may have concealed mourning and gnashing of teeth over poor exam returns and shattered dreams in some areas.

Whereas excellent exam results are a great thing, there is something deeply worrying about Kenya's education system and that is the failure to inculcate a culture of entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is the life-blood of economic growth and the foundation of national sovereignty. So, why aren't we inculcating it in our schools?

A 2002 World Bank-commissioned review on integrated entrepreneurial education in Botswana, Uganda and Kenya found that whereas the self-employment rate, especially in the informal sector, was relatively high, almost none of the entrepreneurs had received integrated entrepreneurial education.

The report acknowledges that countries that have sustained high economic growth rates have demonstrated the close link between quality education and economic productivity noting that education is central to adaptation of new technologies and innovation.

Today, more than at any other time, Kenya stands on the edge of an economic revolution. The discoveries of oil and gas, the opening up of national borders and heavy investment in infrastructure, have made our country one of the most coveted investment destinations on the continent.

However, many job entrants prefer following the beaten path, opting for employment in blue-chip firms rather than the hard and often non-linear path of starting and operating a business.

Unfortunately, available information indicates that unemployment remains inordinately high, with the majority of the unemployed being the youth. Unemployment in Kenya stands at more than 40 per cent.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) identifies lack of an enterprise culture, lack of entrepreneurship education across formal and informal educational systems, among others, as some of the leading causes of slow economic growth and unemployment in developing economies.

It is hard to imagine the amount of wealth we could create if at least 10 per cent of today's job seekers chose the path of entrepreneurship, not because they have no other option, but because that's what they really want to do.

We would cut joblessness and put our country on the path to economic growth and middle-level economic status. Away from programmed learning, which sometimes requires learners to memorise facts in order to excel, entrepreneurship forces children to stretch the limits of their faculties, develop a competitive spirit, innovate and acquire confidence.

Teaching entrepreneurship can create a world of opportunities for kids to explore, and develop a fierce sense of independence.

Robert E. Nelson and Scott D. Johnson, both of University of Illinois in their joint paper 'Entrepreneurship Education as a Strategic Approach to Economic Growth in Kenya' argue for the creation of an 'enterprise culture' by focusing on the youth while they are still in school.

The authors observe correctly that education and training programmes must integrate business, technology, self-employment and entrepreneurship in the curriculum.

In past decades, there has been too much focus on making the grade and moving to the next level. Parents worry that their kids may not find a place at the university and hence success in life. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Education opens doors to plenty of opportunities. But the focus on programmed learning which limits students' creativity to finding employment is a sin against young people and needs to be turned inside out.

The world is wired up and jobs that previously required multiple people to accomplish can now be performed with the aid of technology or through outsourcing. Herein, however, is an incredible opportunity for young people to take advantage of information and communication technologies to create new businesses and redesign existing ones.

Starting own blog, an eBay marketplace or marketing one's skill via various social media platforms certainly isn't as complex as starting a transport business.

Indeed, the market is hungry for a new breed of entrepreneurs. And there's no shortage of financing, only shortage of ideas. Unless we create a generation of entrepreneurs, our resources will become raw materials for other people's development as our educated young people struggle to find employment.

It is disheartening to see tens of thousands of young people in our region some with college degree and others without, surrendering to fate when the jobs they hoped for become elusive.

Governments, business leaders and other non-state actors must now focus on retooling the education system so that all subjects teaching can be done within the context of starting and operating a business.

This way, those who are not channelled to higher education can quickly become useful in the community. Those who proceed with higher education will find the skills extremely valuable whether as entrepreneurs or employees. In the end, everyone benefits.

This is not just about introducing entrepreneurship courses in school. That field is already congested. We are talking about getting young people to face real risk, the fear of failure and the possibility of success.

Entrepreneurship has little to do with genes. It is not true that some people are born entrepreneurs and others are not. It is about upbringing. It is about the environment in which we grow up. And on this, everyone has a role to play.