Hina Javed Malik
Before you read my article, let me clarify. I have nothing against our schooling system, it surely has produced some great Doctors, Engineers, IT experts, and a few scientists too.
The problem is, our typical school system does not produce entrepreneurs and in a new age, for a country to grow it needs to have entrepreneurs to sail the ship forward and compete with the rest of the world.
I think it is high time we should change our schooling system, it creates workers, not entrepreneurs. The fundamentals of entrepreneurship such as decision-making, risk, and thinking out of the box by trying to find a solution to a problem are never taught at school. Perhaps there is a need to introduce entrepreneurship at the school level in a form of a mandatory subject.
In the last two decades, the world has changed, the human labor is quickly replaced by robots, and machines in major industries like automobiles, shipping, cargo, and avionics. The number of users on the internet is almost 3 times more than what it was just 5 years ago all over the world. There are self-driving cars, there will be self-flying airplanes in the future as well.
It seems like the whole world’s business/education paradigms are changed in the last few years but in Pakistan, we are following the same syllabus for decades in our schools and there is no sign of change yet.
Entrepreneurs, and technology innovators like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs laid the foundation of the services which has a consumer base all over the world, the revenue fetched from their ventures helps their country in the short/long run.
Being Guru recently covered Abdul Wali, for some reason he could not never go to school but learned computers and the English language to change his destiny.
Entrepreneurs not only provide a solution to a problem but also generate jobs, they employ more people in society. Take the latest twin cities internet services provider sensation “NayaTel“. Founded in 2004, the ISP has generated thousands of jobs within a decade. The same goes for Pakistan’s tech giant “Netsol Technologies“, 1st Pakistani company listed in NASDAQ. There are many more to the list but I want to get to the point.
Also, See the Bridging cap between Academia and Industry.
The counterargument here could be, that Entrepreneurs are produced in the same school system. Yes, that is correct but the problem here is they are only a handful in numbers and honestly speaking, the family support, and their personal skills to jump into business should not be factored out in the equation here.
By introducing Entrepreneurship in schools, we can secure our future. Get in the race to compete with other countries and take Pakistan forward to new heights of recognition. A recognition based on achievements from different walks of life.
With the following statement, I will put my case to rest.
“There are thousands of graduates from colleges and universities all over Pakistan every year. Do all get jobs?”.
