Sometime ago, I delivered the Guest lecture at the Investiture ceremony of the Rotaract Club of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State , Nigeria specifically in November 2016. This paper was further developed as an article published in the maiden edition of the Awka Diocesan Nigeria Federation of Catholic Students , in Anambra State in May this year. I have decided to share here inn honor of my mother who taught for 33 years as a primary school teacher and who would have been 70 years if she were still alive.
I hope you find it refreshing.
OjisiEmezie
Introduction
“if your plan is for one year,
plant rice; if your plan is for ten years, plant trees; if your plan is for a
hundred years, educate children.” Confucius.
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| image Credit: www.vanguardngr.com |
The need to consciously build,
develop and sustain a new cadre of entrepreneurs is ever so strong at this time
of increasing global competitiveness, growing levels of government’s inability
to pay salaries and massive retrenchment of workers in many sectors of the
economy. The realization of the economic recession is such that it provokes
some innate tendencies in us. After all, necessity they say, is the mother of
inventions.
Socialization is one of the best
means of transferring knowledge and keeping education alive and creating more
literate people thereby establishing a rising army of new entrepreneurs with
the right focus and commitment to turn ideas into workable solutions. This is
my thesis.
Conceptualizing Education
According to John Dewey (1944),
“education is the process of facilitating learning, or the
acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and
habits.” He continues by stating that “educational methods
include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and
directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of
educators, but learners may also educate themselves. He believes that
education is a social process - a process of living and not necessarily a
preparation for future living. This can be seen in the emphasis in learning and
character formation during schooling. He concluded by saying that ”Education
can take place in formal or informal settings and
any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks,
feels, or acts may be considered educational.” It is instructive to point out
at this juncture that the science, art, methodology and profession of teaching
is called pedagogy.
The process of acquiring
knowledge be it formal, semi formal or informal is sequential. Therefore, “education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring
general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of
preparing oneself or others intellectually for
mature life.” (www.dictionary.com).
The essence of every knowledge is to improve one’s being and develop character.
It is
the act or process of imparting or acquiring
particular knowledge or skills, as for a
profession. I believe that Education in itself is a journey and not a
destination. Literacy only helps to ignite the flames of education and set us
on a part of endless learning and discovery.
For Mark K. Smith (2016),
education is a deliberate act; learning which is part of it is both a process
and outcome. These words further
accentuates the position of Mark Twain when he stated “I will not allow
schooling get in the way of my education.”`
Understanding Entrepreneurship
The
word entrepreneur originates from the French word, entreprendre,
which means "to undertake." In a business context, it means to start
a business. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary presents the definition of
an entrepreneur as one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks
of a business or enterprise. " Niccolo Machiavelli once asserted
"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little
difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their
advantage.”
Notwithstanding its acknowledged
centrality in the economic process, entrepreneurship has been defined
differently by different authors and individuals. Entrepreneurship is a concept
that is so protean in nature that it is virtually difficult to
categorize it in a single acceptable definition. So much so that a well
respected economist, Mark Casson once affirm that “entrepreneurship means
different things to different people”. During one week each November, the
Global Entrepreneurship Week GEW inspires people everywhere through local,
national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as
self-starters and innovators. The following are some useful definitions
of entrepreneurship:
“Entrepreneurship is the act of
being an entrepreneur, which is a French word meaning ‘one who undertakes
innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations
into economic goods’. This may result in new organizations or may be part of
revitalizing mature organizations in response to a perceived opportunity.
The most obvious form of
entrepreneurship is that of starting new businesses (referred as Startup
Company); however, in recent years, the term has been extended to include
social and political forms of entrepreneurial activity. When entrepreneurship
is describing activities within a firm or large organization it is referred to
as intra-preneurship and may include corporate venturing, when large entities
spin-off organizations.”
“Entrepreneurship is the process
of designing a new business, i.e. a startup company offering a product, process
or service. The entrepreneur perceives a new business opportunity and often
exhibits biases in their perception and subsequent decision to exploit the
opportunity. The exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities may include
design actions such as to develop a business plan, acquire the human, financial
and other required resources, and to be responsible for its success or failure.
Entrepreneurship may operate within an entrepreneurship ecosystem which
includes government programs and services that promote entrepreneurs,
entrepreneurship resources (e.g., business incubators and seed accelerators),
entrepreneurship education, training and financing (e.g., loans, venture
capital financing, and grants).”
“The capacity and willingness to
develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in
order to make a profit. The most obvious example of entrepreneurship is the
starting of new businesses. In economics, entrepreneurship combined with land,
labor, natural resources and capital can produce profit. Entrepreneurial spirit
is characterized by innovation and risk-taking, and is an essential part of a
nation’s ability to succeed in an ever changing and increasingly competitive
global marketplace.”
Everyone is an inventor, a
creator, an opportunist. The difference is the choice you make when the chance
comes. Choices and not chances define who we are. Even if you are into career,
the fact that you can receive information, manipulate and process such
information; turning ideas by creating values which provides solutions to
problems, then you are an entrepreneur. This is made possible through the
insights received through education.
Let me state here at this
juncture that entrepreneurship isn't a job, it is a lifestyle given to
innovation, creativity, crazy schedules; entrepreneurs are not idea mongers,
they are solutions providers. They push the idea to go beyond just business
ideas into a business! Now that is solutions at work.
New Business: A Case for Teachers
"Technology is just a tool.
In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher
is the most important." Bill Gates.
| Image Credit: Nigerian Union of Teachers |
No doubt there is a difference
between teaching and learning though both are tools of education. I love
teachers not just because my Mum was a primary teacher for 33 years before she
retired and died why waiting for her entitlements; or because she came from a
family of illustrious teachers, but because of how important the teacher is to
character formation and in guiding the child through his endless journey of
discovery
The theme for the 2016 World
Teacher Day is *Valuing Teachers, Improving Their Status*. This theme is quite
apt not only for the Nigerian society but also it best speaks to the African
continent. It is so because here, teachers are not valued as much as education
is. Every day, the teacher pours himself or herself as a libation for us to
become better people.
This is in response to Maria Montessori when she said
"It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love
and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it."
If the teacher does this, then why can't we value them and then improve their
status?
I believe teachers can help us
promote access to better quality education but first, these things need be put
in place. Today's business for teachers includes inspiring students to be
entrepreneurial in their disposition to learning. No doubt traditional methods
of teaching have only produced employees and not entrepreneurs. Therefore,
until schooling can be transformed into tangible solutions, education has not
really taken place. This should be the goal of Today's Teachers.
But in doing these, the teacher
in promoting Entrepreneurship education for national development needs;
1. Conducive learning
environment.
2. Teacher Training and Modern Pedagogy.
Education administrators must
commit to a continuous investment in research and development in the sector.
Teacher training is important in other to arm teachers with requisite current
trends in teaching methods. Unfortunately, in many cases teachers pay for
themselves and in these cases the fees are exorbitant. If governments in Africa
can invest 26% of their annual budget to the education sector as prescribed by
UNESCO then we can begin to attract more revenue from education tourism just
like Finland, UK and USA.
Furthermore, we must learn to
appreciate the efforts of the experienced teachers who are retired. Eunice
Thomas former Commissioner of Education in Akwa Ibom state is a strong advocate
of embalming education by recycling our best brains in education and sending
them to various parts of sector to develop the sector from within.
3. Involvement of Teachers in policy making and implementation.
An African adage has it that
"you cannot shave a man's head in his absence". A nation that wants
to succeed in education must learn to not politicize it, for there is a huge
gulf between politics and governance. Teachers must be included in the policy
process from start to finish. In concluding this section it is quite apt to
state here that entrepreneurial studies help us to provide a solid structure
for effective entrepreneurship and today's teachers have a great part to play.
Why Entrepreneurship Education?
1. Teaching entrepreneurship
gives students the capacity to not only start companies but also to think
creatively and ambitiously, independent of government jobs.
2. Entrepreneurship education
benefits students from all socioeconomic backgrounds because it teaches kids to
think outside the box and nurtures unconventional talents and skills.
3. Furthermore it creates
opportunities, ensures social justice, instills confidence and stimulates the
economy.
Conclusion
To conclude this piece, I support the following for our teachers if
we must promote entrepreneurs through education;
I. Better
pay for teachers
II.
Insurance policy for them
III. More Funding for our education sector, infact
the 26% UNESCO advice.
IV. Continuous teacher training programs.
V.
Re-orientation of the society on the importance of teachers by the
government.
Chimezie
Judemary Udechukwu
