Can schools teach entrepreneurship?
I read a very interesting post over the weekend at an unlikely blog. Why Don’t We Teach The Science Of Getting Rich In School? was posted over at Absolutelee. Now the blog itself is mostly dealing with making money online, but this particular post is really interesting.
He mentions John Taylor Gatto, which immediately drew me in. What can I say, I’m a fan. You could probably blog about dog biscuits but mention Gatto or Holt and I’ll read it. This post, however, has some really interesting points on why things such as “the skills and values of entrepreneurship” are not taught in schools. And even why they should not be. How can you teach the masses to be individuals? How can you control a large group in a classroom and teach them to guide themselves?
I wanted to point out one great quote from his post. I would love to hear what others feel about this, and about his post in general.
The main problems I see are substituting the school system for proper parenting and taking children out of a healthy mix of society and lumping them all together in grades. I mean, nothing good can happen when you put one hundred or so fifteen-year-olds together for most of the year, all taking their cues from each other, all thinking they have any idea how the world actually works, and especially in our world, all subject to tremendous peer pressure and marketing forces.
homeschool, public school, education, entrepreneur, John Taylor Gatto
July 10th, 2007 at 8:03 am
[...] Can schools teach entrepreneurship? This post, however, has some really interesting points on why things such as ?the skills and values of entrepreneurship? are not taught in schools. And even why they should not be. How can you teach the masses to be individuals? … [...]
July 10th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Summer, thanks for the post! I think for our children’s generation, entrepreneurship is going to be one of the central skills–like reading, writing, and arithmetic. The internet, virtual corporations, downsizing, the move toward outsourcing, all point to an individual’s need to be able to learn marketable skills, and most importantly how to market those skills. That’s entrepreneurship, in a nutshell! Again, thanks! Lee
July 10th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Summer, great post!
At my daughter’s school,when she was in 6th grade, towards the end of the school year, the whole school gets involved in “Business Day”. The 6th graders spend a week with partners coming up with a business, and each class room competes to see who can make the most profit. Grades from K-5 are given play money, like $300 and are taken from class room to class room to shop. At the end the 6th grade class who’s made the most profit gets a Pizza Party. I thought this was an interesting concept. I wish they taught us this when I was in school.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:46 am
This is so true! I love that others are starting to question this practice from a place of logic as well. Great link!
July 13th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
You can’t teach the masses to be individuals…I like that. It reminds me of my favorite scene out of “Life of Brian.” Everyone is standing in front of Brian and he is trying to get rid of them. “You are all individuals!” he shouts to them. The cheer in agreement, except one lone person. “I’m not,” he says.
The only individual in the bunch…
July 17th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Great topic! Traveling the carnival . . .
July 17th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
[...] posted at The Freestyle Entrepreneur, saying, “Written by Bill Willard” Summer presents Can schools teach entrepreneurship? posted at Mom Is Teaching. Warren Wong presents How Much Money Is Integrity Worth? posted at [...]
July 17th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
As some have pointed out, the schools are geared for making good little workers who do what they are told, and the schools are very good at what they do, in that light.