Need for entrepreneurship education in

changing scenario

E
ducation is an important factor in
determining the entrepreneurial
orientation in individuals. Education
may be informal or formal. The informal
form of learning stresses the importance
of early role models and reinforcement
patterns on the acquisition and
maintenance of entrepreneurial

behaviour . Role models

could be parents or
peer groups that
provide
socialization
training in
entrepreneurship.
Formal education
is also positively
correlated with entrepreneurship. It has also been
reported that entrepreneurs of healthy units, on an
average, had a higher level of education compared
to those who own sick units.

Education can help in broadening

knowledge base, by identifying opportunities, and by pointing out ways to
overcome barriers imposed by ones environment. Hence, education and
training can have definite role in enhancing entrepreneurship in the context
of a developing country by enlarging the pool of entrepreneurs in society.

Our young men and women look upon degrees as a necessary

certificate for their life and hence they strive to achieve them. Instead of
concentrating on any area of specialization, they take up any subject-course
that is available. After passing, they are disillusioned when they find that
they have to stand in queues at the Employment Exchanges for registration
and in the ardent hope of a clerical post at a distance future. They are not
sure of getting selected by the industries or business organizations either.
Their plight is miserable as their coveted paper-degrees do not take them
any where. They just add to the millions of the already unemployed.

In such a situation, it is worthwhile to consider the experience of the

more progressive nations. Higher education in these countries is acquired
for specialization in an area of the student's aptitude and interest. After the
school certificate examination, which is universal and compulsory, the
citizen is sure to get a job in which he gets adequately paid. The degrees
are not essential criteria for obtaining a job or entering a vocation.

In the Indian context also, degrees should be delinked from

employment. The higher secondary school or the secondary school
certificate should provide a job. The concept of white-collared jobs should
be replaced by the idea of any job where one could secure a living with
dignity and self-respect. The planners of the economy and the educational
administrators have to evolve a system of delinking degrees from
employment.

Little wonder that India has today the world's second largest
education system after China, as reported in a recent World Bank study.
Also India is known for its capability of providing instructions in all
disciplines. This quantitative expression notwithstanding our record on the
front of quality is not equally impressive, if anything, it leaves a lot to be
desired.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION

We have to emphasis on quality education and it is pertinent to

understand the meaning and criterion of quality education. Quality refers to
the standard of performance of the object to which it is applied. It is
applicable to both the system and its products. The standard of performance
is measured in terms of the attributes of efficiency, effectiveness of
efficiency, effectiveness and excellence. All this has to be viewed with
reference to the objectives of the system under reference. For the present
purposes, quality education may be defined as that which transforms the
consciousness of a person and impart to him / her following four capabilities
in an efficient, effective and excellent manner.

i. To think logically, analytically, critically and laterally.

ii. To acquire occupational skills and work experience to eke out

an honourable living, i.e. employability;

iii. To realize one's potential for self development so as to become

better person in terms of physical, emotional, intellectual,
aesthetic and moral character, and

iv. To cultivate a discriminating capability to appreciate and imbibe

the emerging values of our times such as ecological concern,
social harmony, pluralism, secularism and egalitarianism so as
to build a healthy and harmonious society.

Our higher education has little to offer in terms of occupational skills.

Much of it is bookish, having little relevance to practical life situations.
Practical form an important part of science courses but they are conducted
in a slipshod and shabby manner on one pretext or another. Fieldwork,
which should form part of social science courses, is generally not
prescribed, thus depriving the students of first hand knowledge of the object
of their study as well as of the methodological skills required for it. The
result is the trend of delinking of degree with job market and ever increasing
army of educated unemployed. Having acquired alarming proportions, it has
now shaken the educationalists out of their slumber to plead for
vocationalization of higher education. As of now, more of our graduates and
post-graduates belong to the category of unemployables.
 To realize one's potential for self development, our education has
little to claim credit for it. At best, it is promoting a careerist orientation
without necessarily equipping the students with necessary skills and
experiences.

The allocation of funds for education in India is already low not only in
comparison to the developed countries but also to developing countries. Sri
Lanka spends six times more than what India spends on education. A poor
nation like Thailand spends seven times more and Malaysia spends ten
times more than India on education. As things stand today, the budgetary
allotments are not really sufficient for proper development of colleges, who
get paltry sums when the total is divided at the end, according to Prof.
Yaspal, an eminent academician and a former chairman of the UGC.

No less important is the role of our outdated examination system in

bringing down the quality. Amrik Singh is right in his observations. Our
system of examinations has continued to be what it was in 1857. The world
has changed beyond recognition but we are not willing to change" (The
Hindu, Dec. 8, 1998). It not that nothing has been done in this regard. Half-
hearted attempts were made in several affiliating universities in the 60s to
introduce the system of a partial internal assessment. But soon it had to be
abandoned on the count of its misuse. There have also been set up a few
groups and committees, but their recommendations have been ignored for
reasons best known to the authorities concerned. It need not have to be said
that out examination system remains one of the most backward and dreaded
systems which is out of step with the logic of both education and quality. It
is more of a test of rote memory than of understanding and analytical
thinking. If some of the students still do well in their life and career, it is so
because they are talented on their own and not because of our rotten
examination system.

The employment exchanges in our country offer us the figures of

unemployed people. Thousands of graduates and post graduates of our
universities suffer for want of employment. Millions of educated men and
women, as also several thousands of the uneducated, are without proper
employment or are under-employed. Either they do not have a job or they
have to work in a job, where they do not derive any satisfaction. Hence, the
need for self employment has become very important today.

Suggestions

It has been immensely felt the need of introduction subject

'entrepreneurship' both in the graduate and post graduate level in a more
effective way. There should major/specialized course on entrepreneurship at
the graduate level/post graduate level. Moreover, in the general course
'entrepreneurship' need to be a compulsory paper. The Vocational courses
of education should be geared up. No doubt acquiring knowledge is
important for imparting culture and other aspects of life in a society. But the
basic physiological needs of the food and basic amenities in life can never
be ignored. Skills need to be trained in the learner, since these will fetch
him/her employment once he/she leaves the institution. Skills for production
and management would be developed through vocationalisation of
education. Specialised training in the teaching of vocational skills should be
imparted to teachers who opt to teach vocational courses. These teachers
may be appointed on a part-time or full-time basis, but they should be
provided with adequate salary benefits, job satisfaction and job security. For
the success of these programmes the college should collaborate with the
specific work places, such as the factory, concern, office, hospital, company
for effective planning and implementation of (a) Syllabus, (b) teaching, (c)
practical experience (d) internship and (e) course offered should be related
to local needs. Infact, a fine blend of vocational course in the prevailing
structure will definitely give an impetus for the growth of entrepreneurship.

Conclusion

Entrepreneurship is no longer seen as being solely applicable to

people to start enterprises but to people involved in any endeavor. Not only
having the economic significance but also the present thinking is that
society as whole will be benefited by people adopting a more positive and
enterprising approach in all facet of life. It is therefore important to introduce
entrepreneurship into the school system as a means of changing attitudes
and creating wider awareness in the society, so that people can play a more
positive role in developing their own well being. Interest in entrepreneurship
appears to be growing rapidly and some states have already introduced
entrepreneurship in their school curriculum but Assam is yet to adopt the
same. It is essential to motivate the youths to become self-employed even
when they are studying in schools and colleges. Entrepreneurship should be
introduced in the high school and in the junior high school level. Different
development agencies may individually/jointly go for such programmes in
the various schools/colleges at the block level. Infact, entrepreneurship
development is one of the most integral parts of human development, and in
recent time there is an urgent need to find a place in the curriculum of all
institutions and colleges and also getting teachers trained in the subject.

The schools, colleges and universities should identity some nearby

industries as their work centers. Here the students could be given hands on
experience. Besides, the industries should come forward as their
entrepreneurial nurseries and for sponsoring work internship to the students.
With this dual support strategy, the industries will get properly trained and
efficient hands for their operations. Ultimately the state will get millions of
component income and employment generators. Thus, the fusion of interests
of industry and education will definitely reduce the failure rate of enterprises
and screen out those unfits who go in business for themselves.

Information flow between agencies and potential entrepreneurs in

entirely inadequate form, in terms of access to information and quality of
information. Across to information is entirely based on request and such
information that are made available is often fragmented and incomplete.
There is no single source that a potential entrepreneur can access for
information regarding the licensing, regulatory or project appraisal
requirements. Information regarding technology, sourcing of machinery or
markets is also not available. An average entrepreneur is faced with not only
procedural delays, but also with bureaucratization of infrastructure agencies
such as those in banking, as well as lack of information. To make the long
story short, support structures created for nurturing the creation of
enterprises and their growth have become major stumbling blocks for the
potential entrepreneur.
 Gathering of young entrepreneurs, senior Industrial Officers, bank
representatives and social workers under the banner of North Eastern Small
Scale Industries Association (NESSIA) is already prevalent in this region.
There is need for networking by the 'student union bodies' existing in our
educational institutions with such associations/NGOs, so that necessary
information on developing entrepreneurship can be percolated to the
younger generation. Infact it is the young generation that would bring the
fame of the state and solve the unemployment problem by a process of self-
employment by devoting themselves to the proper utilization of the loan
amount and timely return of it for the benefit of the next generation.
Students should foresee that trained beneficiaries could adopt themselves to
the environment and would be able to overcome all the odds of the situation
with their sincere efforts and hard labour, provided necessary help and
cooperation are extended to them timely and adequately by all concerned.

The system of function in an educational setting is also responsible

for developing positive work attitudes. They reflect in effort, hard work, and
sincerity and to regard duty as worship. It has been found that individuals
with positive work attitudes at younger stage of life, later develops high work
commitment. Committed ness is yet another desirable feature of
entrepreneurs and education goes a long way in developing this
characteristic feature.

The teacher in his role can be inspiring, motivation and guiding and
act as a mentor. The teacher may function like a transformational leader by
owning the responsibility for the students, ability to identify with them,
behave with a value driven philosophy and create opportunities for learning
and growing.

The methodology of teaching needs to be varied. Emphasis may be

given to case analysis, experimental learning, group discussion or
participatory methods, presentation by students etc., though not at the cost
of developing conceptual and analytical skills. Thus, we see that educational
system with its institutional factors, role of teacher teaching methodology
plays a decisive role in developing and shaping the skills in an individual.
 Since education is an integral part of society, society would like to
benefit from its outcomes like good academic performance, intellectual
development and personalities which contribute for the betterment of
society. A constructive way of contributing to society is by developing
entrepreneurial skills.

# DR. Ajanta B. Rajkonwar

Reader & Head,
Deptt. of Commerce,
Dibrugarh University

Note: The author has used various references in the preparation of this article. For
further details please contact her.