To help mold Filipinos to become successful entrepreneurs, Deputy Speaker and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar wants to introduce young students to entrepreneurial concepts and deeper insights and help create new companies in the future.
Villar has filed House Bill 3099 which seeks to mandate the inclusion of entrepreneurship as a separate subject in the junior and senior year curricula in both public and private secondary schools nationwide. Under the current setup, entrepreneurship is being offered for Grades 11 and 12 senior high school students based on the Education department’s K-12 curriculum.
“Entrepreneurship education is a lifelong process, starting as early as elementary school and progressing through all levels of education, including adult education,” Villar said.
According to the House leader, small businesses make up more than 90% of the economy and contribute greatly to employment opportunities for Filipinos, thus, starting entrepreneurship education at an early age would pave the way for more startups that will help shape brighter prospects for the country.
Further, the new generation is rapidly becoming known as the most entrepreneurial generation ever, with more than 60% saying they have some sort of started or they plan to start their own business venture.
“Entrepreneurship education aids students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to think outside the box and nurture unconventional talents and skills. It creates opportunities, ensures social justice, instills confidence, and stimulates the economy,” said Villar, noting the indispensable role of entrepreneurs in driving societal change and offering solutions to the simplest – and even complex problems.
“It benefits not just students of science but also those studying art, music, and humanities who can develop their imagination through creative thinking skills to real-world problems,” she added.
Introducing entrepreneurship to the young people develops their initiative and helps them to be more creative and self-confident in whatever they undertake and to act in a socially responsible way, Villar said, adding that “the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the curriculum of our students will allow for all these benefits to be reaped by the future generations which will allow our economy to flourish and emerge as one of the leading economies in Asia and the world.
Image credits: Rep. Camille Villar