Final Report of the Expert Group - European Commission - Europa

In this context, experts agree that - while entrepreneurship education as a general objectiveshould be explicitly included in the established curriculum - student company activitiesshould be an option in that curricular framework. The implementation of programmes willbenefit from a legal basis, while different ways should be open to schools, leaving them freeto decide whether or not to integrate these activities into their programme. Student companyactivities should therefore not be imposed, but clearly recommended. Their take-up should bea prominent option in the official curriculum.Training and support for teachersA major obstacle to a wider dissemination of student company activities is the lack ofrelevant skills (and, consequently, of motivation) of teachers about how to introduceentrepreneurship and work on enterprise projects in the classroom. These activities require notonly a special knowledge, but also a change in teaching methodologies, as the role of teachermoves rather to that of a facilitator. Teachers need to be carefully selected and inducted ifthey are to become involved in developing mini-companies at school. Induction shouldinclude training on active teaching and learning methodologies, with a focus on group work.A limit on financial and personnel resources in schools, especially when student companyprogrammes are not a recognised option in the curriculum, means that those teachers whoneed training and support for teaching mini-companies may not always receive it.While basic training is normally given to teachers by external organisations (such as NGOs)promoting these programmes, there is in most countries a lack of systematic training (bothinitial and in-service training) provided or supported by public authorities on how toimplement entrepreneurship projects at school. Also, sometimes teachers are not encouragedby schools to make use of the training on offer.In addition to this, extra work by teachers on student companies going beyond normal schoolhours is often neither recognised nor rewarded, thus further discouraging teachers fromgetting involved in these activities.Public support to student company programmesIn most countries student company programmes receive a certain degree of support frompublic authorities (financial, or other). However, the level of this support is often consideredas not sufficient for a wider expansion of these activities.The most common form of support from public authorities is financial. As previouslymentioned, in some countries financial resources for the organisation of these programmescome mainly from the public sector. However, public support is in many cases not systematic,but rather project-based or taking place only at a local level, thus not encouraging long-termplanning and a further expansion of these programmes.In a few countries, public authorities have established a structured cooperation with NGOsresponsible for the organisation of student company programmes, by involving them in thedevelopment of a national strategy for entrepreneurship education (Denmark, Norway).In Norway, Young Enterprise Norway is an important partner for the government inimplementing many of the actions outlined in the government’s Strategy for EntrepreneurshipEducation. Public funding to Young Enterprise Norway is granted by the Ministry of LocalGovernment and Regional Development, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministryof Education and Research.46