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Friday, April 13, 2012
The European Commission published a report on entrepreneurship education
European countries provide a very important support to entrepreneurship education. Whether in specific strategies (Belgium, Norway, Lithuania, Netherlands ...) or in national strategies related to lifelong learning, growth, or youth (Austria, Greece, Poland, Turkey ...) the entrepreneurship education is very present.
Half of European countries are engaged in a process of educational reforms which include the strengthening of entrepreneurship education. A total of 31 European countries and 5 regions were surveyed for the report, entitled “Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe”.
The report shows that entrepreneurship education is explicitly recognised in the primary education curricula of two-thirds of the countries surveyed. While entrepreneurship is not taught as a separate subject in primary schools, half of the countries have defined learning outcomes which relate to entrepreneurial attitudes and skills such as sense of initiative, risk-taking and creativity.
In secondary education, half of the countries integrate entrepreneurship into compulsory subjects such as economics and social sciences. Two countries (Lithuania, Romania) teach entrepreneurship as a compulsory separate subject. Practical entrepreneurial skills are specified by four countries (Lithuania, Romania, Liechtenstein and Norway).
The report shows that a dozen countries support initiatives related to entrepreneurship education such as enhancing closer cooperation between education and business, and setting up small-scale firms run by students. However, specific teacher training in this area is available only in the Flemish Community of Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. Only one third of European countries provide central guidelines and teaching materials for entrepreneurship education.
Background The European Union promotes entrepreneurship as a key factor for competitiveness and has highlighted the importance of advancing a European entrepreneurial culture by fostering the right mind-set and entrepreneurship-related skills.
The 2006 Recommendation of the European Parliament and Council on key competences for lifelong learning includes entrepreneurship as one of eight key competences (1).
The need to improve the entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities of citizens is also underlined in three of the flagship initiatives in the Europe 2020 strategy for jobs and sustainable growth: "Innovation Union", "Youth on the Move" and "An agenda for new skills and jobs".
Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training is also a long-term objective for 'Education and Training 2020', the strategic framework for European cooperation (2).
As part of this, the Commission set up a working group on entrepreneurship education in November 2011. The group is made up of experts from 24 countries as well as representatives of business and unions. The aim is to support efforts by Member States to implement entrepreneurship education and to guide the Commission's work on promoting entrepreneurship education. The group will produce a policy handbook on entrepreneurship education before the end of 2013. XXEuropean Institute of Innovation and Technology
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and aims to educate the next generation of young entrepreneurs. It also encourages and supports individuals and companies in developing innovative ideas and taking them to the market. The first start-up companies created within the EIT's Knowledge and Innovation Communities were recently showcased at the first EIT Entrepreneurship Awards (IP/12/160).
Eurydice The Eurydice Network provides information on and analyses of European education systems and policies. It consists of 37 national units based in all 33 countries participating in the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme (EU Member States, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey). It is co-ordinated and managed by the EU Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, which drafts its studies and provides a range of online resources.
Source
Press room - European commission
More information
Commission report “Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe”
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