The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced entrepreneurship education in the Grade 11 and 12 curriculum to ignite a spirit of entrepreneurship among students (CBSE, 2021).
Dr Sudha Acharya, Principal at ITL Public school, has taken this further with a school-wide programme that encourages entrepreneurship for all students, right from the early years. She shares three initiatives from the programme, started in 2014, with Teacher that engages students from different streams and grades.
Herbal household products
Students of ITL are producing 14 herbal household products from the school’s herb garden where they grow rosemary, aloe vera, and Indian herbs such as sugandha, brahmi, and amla.
Dr Archarya said, ‘The heads of chemistry and biology departments came up with the idea to involve students in the development of herbal mosquito repellents, floor cleaners, and hand sanitisers much before the pandemic.’
Disinfectant spray developed at the school. Image supplied.
The products are certified from external laboratories and sold to the school’s parent community with more than 3000 parents supporting the programme.
‘There is something for everyone in this initiative. For example, students pursuing Science after Grade 10 make these organic products and those in the commerce stream are involved in pricing, tagging, branding, promotion, marketing, and sales of the products.’
Universities and schools have contacted Dr Archarya to know how the school implemented this initiative.
A selection of household products developed at the school. Image supplied.
Recycled products
This year, the school plans to use plastic materials to develop eco bricks and eco walls for the school garden. If the initiative brings positive results, the school will encourage the production of more such products from recyclable waste.
Dr Archarya said that teachers are keen to explore upscaling of garments as an entrepreneurial initiative for students. ‘Sustainable fashion is a burgeoning market in India. Therefore, it is important to encourage students to upscale, recycle, reuse, repair, and repurpose garments for future use.’
Industry interface
The school also has a strong industry interface programme supporting students to get exposure to reputed industries. For instance, the school has a collaboration with Lemon Tree Hotels, enabling students to gain understanding of the hospitality industry.
‘Our programmes are designed to instil 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, choice, decision making, collaboration, etcetera. We want children to become self-reliant and ready for the future workforce.’
She added, ‘The National Education Policy emphasises vocational education. Our school started this in 2014 through different initiatives so that children develop skills for not just seeking employment but providing employment’.
References
CBSE (2021). Curriculum Main 2021-2022. https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/CurriculumMain22/termwise/SrSecondary/Entrepreneurship_2021-22.pdf
What programmes do you have in place at your school to help promote the development of 21st Century skills with students?
When was the last time students at your school had the opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship in the classroom? How did this impact their learning?
