The importance of entrepreneurship in the school curriculum - Allon Raiz

Radley Private School

I get excited when I hear about interesting teaching methods, programmes and technology that enhance Education! We definitely need a new teaching and learning mindset in preparation for a fast-changing digital future. Pair that with a fluctuating workforce where permanent employment is unheard of. Entrepreneurship is of utmost importance in preparation for this!
Why am I interested? Maybe it's the undeveloped teacher in me, and maybe it's the fact that I still have a daughter that is in the beginning of her school years? I am also still very much part of the workforce, and most probably won't be able to retire at the suggested age of 63.
We all need to become entrepreneurs!

Educator and well known consultant, Peter Drucker, said that “The best way to predict the future, is to create it.” This is what Raizcorp, a for-profit business ProsperatorTM and investor in Radley Private School, plans to do. In an innovative move, the company has not only enhanced the curriculum, but is also addressing the physical layout of the school and the manner in which the teachers teach, all in the name of entrepreneurship.

 The best way to predict the future, is to create the kids who will make it

Allon Raiz, CEO and Founder of Raizcorp

Allon Raiz was kind enough to answer my questions that I sent through on email. I was unfortunately not able to attend a breakfast at Radley Private School to see how they are incorporating entrepreneurship into the curriculum.

1. Allon, why are you interested in helping students learn entrepreneurial skills?

Our aim is to create the next generation of entrepreneurs that are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to make a significant difference in the South African business climate. With one of the lowest rates of entrepreneurship in the world, South Africa is desperate for new generations of job creators who have been educated and immersed in the marinade of entrepreneurship. It’s all about solving these issues sooner rather than later, which will translate into a better chance for South Africa.

2. How are you enhancing the curriculum? Give me an example?

Identifying opportunity is a function of seeing information from multiple perspectives. In English, for example, when a story is told from a single narrator, the question is asked about how the story can be seen from multiple other perspectives, thus highlighting the fact that different narratives see problems and solutions from different perspectives. This is the basis of entrepreneurial opportunity identification, the ability to see a situation from multiple perspectives and then identify where the gap or “pain” might lie. We have enhanced the curriculum by implementing entrepreneurship thinking into every class, from English to Mathematics and everything in between.

3. How are you addressing the physical layout of the school?

We have taken the traditional school model of desks and chairs and changed it to create a learning environment that is user-friendly, comfortable and includes different elements that relate to the child’s best learning style, whether that is standing, lying down on a bean bag, rocking, or sitting at a desk. Our methods encourage students to find a comfortable position that best serves their concentration. Our pilot classroom includes a Pilates Ball, seated and standing desks, a couch and beanbags, amongst other things, all of which speak to the different needs of different students.

4. How are the teachers teaching differently with regards entrepreneurship?

The teachers are being immersed in entrepreneurship through regular Raizcorp entrepreneurship training. All lesson plans include an entrepreneurial perspective and the learners and teachers are exposed to entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial contexts on a regular basis.  We have also encouraged our teachers to run and manage the school tuck shop to ensure a better understanding of what it means to own and run a profitable business.

5. How can other schools get involved in such a type of project?

Raizcorp has a BizCamp and BizFlame programme that we run at other schools; two youth development programmes that facilitate guided entrepreneurial learning.