Final Report of the Expert Group - European Commission - Europa

Active promotion of these programmes by public authorities to teachers and schools can alsoplay a very important role in their dissemination. In Belgium, the Ministry sends invitationletters to the heads of schools aiming to encourage their participation to the programme. InPoland, promotion of mini-company programmes is the responsibility of schoolsuperintendents. In general, this type of promotion is in most countries only occasional, or notenough intensive and systematic.In Finland, financial support is given to schools in order to enable Practice Firms to function,and permanent visibility is ensured at the forums of the public sector (e.g. Board of Educationweb-pages). Also, the Board of Education sends a letter of encouragement and an informationbrochure to all schools in Finland inviting them to participate in the Young EnterpriseCompany Programme.Lastly, and as previously highlighted, the official recognition of these activities is crucial totheir success. While some form of recognition is ensured in a number of countries, it rangesfrom simple moral support (e.g. a declaration or statement from the Ministry) to moreconcrete and effective measures such as the explicit inclusion of student companies as arecommended option within the curricular framework.In Austria, student company programmes are compulsory or recommended in the curriculumfor all types of secondary technical and vocational schools, colleges and academicestablishments. In this case, public authorities pay and reward teachers for running theseactivities and provide further training to them. Also, Service Centres for both existingprogrammes in Austria (Practice Firms and Junior) are financed by the public sector.In some countries, the organisation of student company programmes faces major practicaldifficulties because of an unclear legal and administrative framework (for instance, asregards the taxation of mini-companies). This problem will be specifically addressed in § 6.3.The Expert Group has been asked to identify a set of indicators that will measure to whatextent public policy is supportive to the development of student company activities and, moregenerally, to entrepreneurship education based on practice learning. These indicators areproposed below as a possible tool for assessing public policies in this area.Indicators of supportive policy making in this area:1) An overall strategy for the promotion of entrepreneurship education in schools isdeveloped by the government;2) A specific legal or administrative framework or an agreement exists that recognisestudent companies as a pedagogical tool and ensure that their operations are not hindered;3) Student company programmes are officially recognised or recommended by theeducational authorities for application in comprehensive and in vocational secondaryeducation, and guidelines for their implementation are provided;4) Schools have flexibility, autonomy and freedom to set up student companies, eitherwithin the curriculum or as out-of-school activities, and are encouraged to take up thismethodology;47