“Find a problem, solve a problem,” was the unanimous response from the learners towards the end of Term 2. They were responding to a question posed by Sue Green who was addressing the College with a talk on entrepreneurship. She is the co-founder of the RISE Academy of Entrepreneurship, and successful entrepreneur in her own right. The saying has become her motto.
A country-wide problem in South Africa is unemployment. According to Stats in SA, the unemployment rate has reached a record high of 32.6% this year. What’s more frightening is that that figure increases to 57.47% for 18-25 year olds – a daunting prospect for those who are fresh out of school or university full of the energy and optimism of youth and the hopes of building a successful career.
But, if entrepreneurship is about finding a niche (a problem and solving it), then opportunities abound. Employment is one of our biggest challenges and entrepreneurship tackles that. South Africa’s political instability doesn’t entice foreign investment which would grow the country’s economy and therefore employment, but something we do have going for us is the remarkably low cost of starting up a business in South Africa. It’s one of the lowest in the world according to The World Bank. Thus, South Africa is encouraging business development and targeting unemployment through entrepreneurship.
So, if education’s goal is to equip future generations with the skills needed to create a living for themselves and be of benefit to society, we could argue that many of those skills should largely align with the skills of successful entrepreneurs. An article in Forbes magazine lists six (a Google search will show all number of lists, but there is general agreement, and Forbes is as authoritative as any).
1) A robust work ethic
2) Deep passion
3) Creativity
4) Motivated self-starters (initiative)
5) Easy going attitude (adaptable)
6) Eager to learn
The confidence to take a risk and back yourself goes without saying and underlies these skills.
Does the traditional education system strive to develop such individuals?
What would a school that fosters such qualities and skills look like? It would uphold high standards and teach the importance of meeting deadlines and taking pride in one’s work. It would expose learners to a wide choice of subjects and content they find interesting, thereby allowing them to find their passion and develop internal motivation for life-long learning. Being encouraged and guided rather than shown how to tackle tasks and working collaboratively would similarly encourage an eagerness to learn and grow creativity. Providing the support and space to make mistakes and learn from them develops perseverance, adaptability and when they do overcome challenges – which they will – confidence in their abilities. These are all aspects of education which Southern Cross strives to provide especially with the new hybrid online/classroom model adopted at the beginning of 2021.
Worth mentioning, and linked to the school’s new model, is that it allows flexibility, and Southern Cross intends capitalising on this to encourage and facilitate engagement with guest speakers and experts in the community. Doing so exposes this small school on a wonderful wildlife estate to the wider world and the interesting learning and debate that comes from it. This discussion on entrepreneurship and tackling unemployment in South Africa is a case in point.
By Graeme Wuth
