PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM SECRETARIAT

PIFS(05)FEDMA.08



EDUCATION MINISTERS MEETING

Apia, Samoa
23-24 May 2005



SESSION NINE




ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION






















This paper was prepared by the Forum Secretariat. It includes the Outcomes Document
from a regional workshop on Entrepreneurial Education that was held in April 2005.




PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM SECRETARIAT

PIFS(05)FEDMA.08



EDUCATION MINISTERS MEETING

Apia, Samoa
23-24 May 2005

Summary brief

SESSION 9: ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

Purpose


This paper outlines the concept of Entrepreneurship Education, which could lead
to increased opportunities for earning livelihoods in the Pacific region.

2.
A recent regional workshop on Entrepreneurship Education for senior curriculum
development officials from Pacific Island Countries unanimously endorsed its adoption
into the school system. Recommendations from this workshop are included in this paper.

Background

3.
Several international and regional agreements endorse the notion of
entrepreneurship to enhance job creation1. Entrepreneurship is considered key to
economic performance, in particular in relation to innovative change, playing an
important and dynamic role in all economies. Encouraging entrepreneurship is
increasingly recognised by governments as an effective means of creating jobs;
increasing productivity and competitiveness; and alleviating poverty and achieving
societal goals, in particular by assisting disadvantaged groups of the population.

4.
A robust private sector is frequently cited as the ‘engine’ of a nation’s economy.
It is identified as a vital determinant of economic growth and provides the opportunity for
increased prosperity and social development for a nation

5.
It is often lamented that entrepreneurship and Pacific Island cultures are
incompatible. This is not necessarily true. There are numerous examples of highly
successful Pacific entrepreneurs who have proved that this is not the case. Many, but not

1 For example: Forum Island Countries Private Sector Development Strategy; APEC, OECD, ASEAN and
48th UN Session on Entrepreneurship and Privatisation for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development

all of them, had exposure to a business environment as children and this influenced them
significantly.

6.
EE is well established in many parts of the world and packages and curricula have
been developed by different countries and organisations.

7.
Entrepreneurial education offers an exciting possibility for advancing the
relevance of education and contributing towards improving sustainable livelihoods and
overall social and economic development. There is sufficient expertise already in
existence that can be built upon and adapted for use in the Pacific region at both regional
and national levels.

8.
The recent regional workshop on EE2 proposed some recommendations that
Ministers of Education may wish to consider, as follows:

(a) At the regional level:
o That further research in this area be conducted in order to progress the
introduction of EE into schools in FICs.
o Direct the Forum Secretariat to seek and develop a regional resource base
for EE that can provide technical assistance to Members particularly
through ILO, PRIDE and COL, among others. This could include
information sharing mechanisms such as a website as well as training for
teachers.
(b) At the national level:
o Develop policy, curriculum and related teaching materials on the basis of
research, with regional assistance where required.
o Develop meaningful partnerships between Ministries of Education and the
private sector.
o Seek assistance from other regional and international agencies in
developing and strengthening EE.



2 The full outcomes document is attached as Annex 1



PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM SECRETARIAT

PIFS(05)FEDMA.08


EDUCATION MINISTERS MEETING

Apia, Samoa
23-24 May 2005


ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

Rationale


The youthful populations of Pacific Island countries, combined with the lack of
opportunities in the formal sector or post-school training and downsizing of the public
sector, result in large numbers of people who lack the skills to create sustainable
livelihoods. Widespread unemployment has obvious links to poverty and instability.

3.
Self-employment is seen as providing openings for future generations.
Entrepreneurship education, taught from an early age and continuing throughout the
school cycle, can foster traits, behaviours and processes that differentiate an entrepreneur
from an employee or a manager.

4.
A recent regional workshop on Entrepreneurship Education for senior curriculum
development officials from Pacific Island Countries unanimously endorsed its adoption
into the school system. Recommendations from this workshop are included in this paper.

Background

9.
Several international and regional agreements endorse the notion of
entrepreneurship to enhance job creation3. Entrepreneurship is considered key to
economic performance, in particular in relation to innovative change, playing an
important and dynamic role in all economies. Encouraging entrepreneurship is
increasingly recognised by governments as an effective means of creating jobs;
increasing productivity and competitiveness; and alleviating poverty and achieving
societal goals, in particular by assisting disadvantaged groups of the population.


3 For example: Forum Island Countries Private Sector Development Strategy; APEC, OECD, ASEAN and
48th UN Session on Entrepreneurship and Privatisation for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development

10.
A robust private sector is frequently cited as the ‘engine’ of a nation’s economy.
It is identified as a vital determinant of economic growth and provides the opportunity for
increased prosperity and social development for a nation

Culture and entrepreneurship

6.
It is often lamented that entrepreneurship and Pacific Island cultures are
incompatible. This is not necessarily true. There are numerous examples of highly
successful Pacific entrepreneurs who have proved that this is not the case. Many, but not
all of them, had exposure to a business environment as children and this influenced them
significantly.

7.
It is worth reflecting that traditional Pacific cultures are resilient and value
qualities of risk-taking, vision, determination, integrity, leadership and discipline. These
align very positively to qualities of entrepreneurship. Culture can therefore be a powerful
factor in promoting entrepreneurial development and should not be seen as an obstacle to
it.

Entrepreneurship education (EE)

8.
Entrepreneurship can be considered as a process through which individuals or
groups pursue opportunity, utlise resources and initiate change to create value.
Entrepreneurship is about action and wealth creation and is a vital determinant of
economic growth, providing opportunities for increased prosperity and social
development for a nation.

9.
The education systems of many Forum Island Countries offer business-related
subjects such as accounting as well as technical and vocational courses. Such courses
usually lack a component of entrepreneurship, focusing more on gaining a job that is
created by someone else, rather than seeking opportunities. The objective of EE is to
develop an entrepreneurial mindset in young minds, to that potential business
opportunities in local communities can be identified and developed.

10.
EE is a process of lifelong learning. It is fully recognised that the school
curriculum is crowded and there is understandable resistance to include new subjects,
which is why it should be integrated into existing school curricula starting from the
primary level.

11.
The key characteristic of entrepreneurship is taking a risk in return for profit.
Young people can build confidence in their abilities to become entrepreneurs in their
future as a result of a variety of entrepreneurial activities provided throughout education.
EE activities are real-life vehicles for developing skills, alongside knowledge and
principles, which prepare young people for the wider world.

12.
EE can meet the needs of many diverse groups, such as


Areas in need of economic development consider developing an entrepreneurial
culture a significant long-term strategy for creating jobs and wealth.

Individuals who lose or give up their jobs for any reason need to have the option
to become self-employed, should the opportunity arise.

Youth that come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can be motivated
to learn and achieve once they are provided with training.

Women have proved themselves natural entrepreneurs with training and
opportunities.

Reducing business failure as a result of better education and training is an
economic benefit to all.

13.
EE is well established in many parts of the world and packages and curricula have
been developed by different countries and organisations.

14.
The International Labour Organisation has developed training packages in
business: Improve Your Business; Start your Business; Start and Improve Your Business
and Know about Business. These packages are targeted at out-of-school youth and adults
and are in use in several Pacific Island Countries. The ILO has indicated that it could
adapt its packages for use at school level, which could provide training materials.

15.
The US Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education has developed complete
curricula in EE that is based on a framework for different levels. Based on the framework
is the development of knowledge and skills based on core academic skills. The
curriculum provides both a context for learning and subject matter4.

Partnerships

16.
Partnerships are an essential part of EE and can be forged between national
education systems, the private sector, academia, trade unions, international and regional
organisations and non-governmental organisations.

17.
The private sector is a key player, and can provide advice, mentoring and
networking, as well as workplace attachments. Representatives of the Pacific region’s
private sector met in 2004 and agreed to pursue and support the proposal for a regional
entrepreneurship and enterprise development trainers’ training programme that would
lead to the introduction of EE into the region’s high school curriculum.

What could be done in the Pacific?

18.
Entrepreneurial education offers an exciting possibility for advancing the
relevance of education and contributing towards improving sustainable livelihoods and
overall social and economic development. There is sufficient expertise already in
existence that can be built upon and adapted for use in the Pacific region at both regional
and national levels.

4 See http://www.entre-ed.org


19.
The recent regional workshop on EE5 proposed some recommendations that
Ministers of Education may wish to consider, as follows:


(a) At the regional level:
o That further research in this area be conducted in order to progress the
introduction of EE into schools in FICs.
o Direct the Forum Secretariat to seek and develop a regional resource base
for EE that can provide technical assistance to Members particularly
through ILO, PRIDE and COL, among others. This could include
information sharing mechanisms such as a website as well as training for
teachers.
(b) At the national level:
o Develop policy, curriculum and related teaching materials on the basis of
research, with regional assistance where required.
o Develop meaningful partnerships between Ministries of Education and the
private sector.
o Seek assistance from other regional and international agencies in
developing and strengthening EE.


5 The full outcomes document is attached as Annex 1

Annex 1


PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM SECRETARIAT



REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION WORKSHOP
Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji, 11-13 April 2005


OUTCOMES DOCUMENT

Senior education officials from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua
New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu met in Nadi, Fiji on 11-
13 April 2005. Representatives of Small Business Advisory Institutions from Fiji, Niue
and PNG also attended. Resource personnel for the workshop were drawn from
Commonwealth of Learning (COL), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Maori
Trust Office, Pacific Regional Initiatives for the Delivery of Basic Education (PRIDE)
and private sector representatives from Fiji and PNG. Participants were exposed to the
experiences of successful entrepreneurs as well as development partners, which generated
considerable interest.

2.
The workshop was opened by Mr Peter Forau, Deputy Secretary General (DSG,
Economic Growth and Security), Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). In his
opening statement, DSG acknowledged the role that entrepreneurship education (EE) at
school level could play in addressing the region-wide problem of youth unemployment,
through the creation of small and micro enterprises and a generation of self-employment.
He also referred to the Forum Leaders’ vision for a Pacific region of peace, harmony,
security and economic prosperity and noted entrepreneurship as an effective tool to
achieve this vision. He thanked participants for their support for entrepreneurship and
private sector development in the region.

3.
The theme of the workshop was “Towards an Entrepreneurial Society in the
Pacific” and its objectives were:
• To network and share experiences amongst FIC Curriculum Developers;
• To introduce experience-based curriculum for teaching youth about
entrepreneurship;
• To discuss the suitability and sustainability of introducing an
Entrepreneurship Education Curriculum at the appropriate level in schools;
and,
• To strengthen the private sector and the generation of self-employment
through the development of youth entrepreneurship.

4.
In recognition of the complementarities of the Forum Basic Education Action
Plan, Millenium Development Goals, Private Sector Development Strategy and other

pertinent regional and international agreements, as well as the current development of the
Pacific Plan, participants discussed the relevance of EE and agreed on the following:

a) Considering the social and economic context of Forum Island Countries
(FICs) that are characterized by youthful populations, few economic
opportunities, underdeveloped private sector, public sectors undergoing
reform and, high youth unemployment, they expressed their commitment to
furthering the potential of entrepreneurship through EE.

b) EE can assist with job creation, poverty reduction, protecting and sustaining
livelihoods and, promoting peace and harmony. Hence, it is able to help
address some of the national/region’s priority needs. While closely related to
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), EE should be
integrated into the whole education system.

c) In line with the objective of PRIDE, EE can also help expand opportunities for
children and youth to acquire the values, knowledge and skills that will enable
them to actively participate in the social, spiritual, economic and cultural
development of their communities and to contribute positively to creating
sustainable futures.

d) FICs have different needs in regard to EE as well as varying capacities to
integrate it into existing subject curricula. However, it was agreed that an
appropriate entry point for EE would be primary school, and that it be
continued into secondary school.

e) Appropriate pedagogies for the delivery of EE should be developed, which are
accessible, creative, flexible and innovative, including experiential learning,
games, practical work in running small businesses like school canteens, field
trips etc. Existing materials developed by agencies such as ILO and COL
could be adapted.

f) Capacity building through networking and information sharing is to be
encouraged, whilst appropriate training for trainers and teachers, including
attachments, in the area of EE will also be sought within the region.

g) Indigenous cultures were seen as important and it was noted that there is not
necessarily a conflict of interest between Pacific cultural values and
entrepreneurship. Our ancestors possessed qualities of leadership, vision,
inspiration, risk-taking, discipline, dedication and commitment, all of which
are basic pre-requisites for entrepreneurship.

h) Partnerships with the private sector (consultations, mentoring, attachments
and apprenticeships) and other stakeholders are seen as essential for the
development and sustainability of a vibrant and effective EE.


i) The outcomes of this workshop are to be followed up through communication
mechanisms and further collaboration.

Ministers of Education may wish to consider recommending:


At the regional level:
o That further research in this area be conducted in order to progress the
introduction of EE into schools in FICs.
o Direct the Forum Secretariat to seek and develop a regional resource base
for EE that can provide technical assistance to Members particularly
through ILO, PRIDE and COL, among others. This could include
information sharing mechanisms such as a website as well as training for
teachers.


At the national level:
o Develop policy, curriculum and related teaching materials on the basis of
research, with regional assistance where required.
o Develop meaningful partnerships between Ministries of Education and the
private sector.
o Seek assistance from other regional and international agencies in
developing and strengthening EE.





Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Nadi, Fiji
13 April 2005




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