Reinventing the wheel

It is acknowledged that reinventing the wheel is a futile task, yet much of Sri Lanka’s resources are expended on that and there is grave danger of more being added.

Four Ministries – namely, Education, Higher Education, Youth Affairs and Sports – will join together to develop human resource through conducting entrepreneurship training for Advanced Level students.

This is especially to be focused on students who wish to pursue vocational training in their higher studies. This programme is to be implemented after receiving Cabinet approval during the meeting scheduled for yesterday.

In addition Education Minister Bandula Gunawardene was quoted exuberantly outlining plans to introduce a subject titled ‘Life Skills’ to the Advanced Level curriculum to create students who will generate jobs rather than simply filling them. All these goals are well and good but what escapes most is that the Young Entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka (YESL), a programme with a worldwide following, has been giving entrepreneurship training for a dozen years.

Since 1998, YESL has worked to register its presence in the education and business sector in Sri Lanka. In comparison to most of the programmes aiming at making a difference, YESL has sustained its services, created a brand name and continues to grow.

Making full use of the initial grant assistance, YESL has introduced the programme in urban and later expanded to rural areas has succeeded in putting a firm foundation of programmes in Sri Lanka. The programme has grown from nine schools and 1,600 enrolments since its inception in 1998 to almost 500 schools and over almost 500,000 enrolments for 2007. Since 1998, 2,000 YESL trained teachers have delivered 200,000 economic lessons. The demand for the programme far exceeds the current YESL delivery, with over three times the number of students on a waiting list to get enrolled as young entrepreneurs.

YESL has brought to Sri Lanka a universally-accepted activity-based programme that has dedicated over 80 years to educating and inspiring young people to value free enterprise, understand business and economics and be workforce-ready. It has developed curricula and materials to be used in all grades from Grade I through 13 in schools at three levels – elementary, middle and senior school – which have been tested and proven.

YESL provides service and technical support to schools in any part of the country to help gain an understanding of the importance of market-driven economies, the role of business in a global economy, the commitment of business to operate in an ethical manner, the relevance of education in the work place and the impact of economics on their future.

In partnership with Ministry of Education approval, the business community, parents, teachers and students through practical business activities and using simple English language, the programme opens the doors to the wide world of work. Presentations made by the participating students, their launching of business ventures, issuing of business plans, progress reports and annual reports have displayed the quality of attainment and the confidence built.

Resources that are expended on developing new programmes would be better utilised for wider implementation of existing mechanisms that would benefit the children exponentially. World recognised programmes that have already proven themselves and produced youth entrepreneurs should be given their due.