The education of entrepreneurship aimed at nurturing future talents equipped with creative problem-solving skills and innovative thinking has been officially introduced into the high school regular curriculum. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 3rd that they have published the first high school textbook for the ‘Youth Entrepreneurship’ course, aiming to enhance the entrepreneurial capabilities of young people.
Until now, Korea had limited entrepreneurship education for youth compared to countries like the United States and Europe, only including it as a small part of the social studies curriculum. This newly published textbook has been adopted as an independent regular subject in line with the introduction of the high school credit system, allowing students to earn credits. It was approved as a recognized textbook by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education in February and will start its first class at Samgye High School in Gyeonggi Province this March.
The textbook is composed of five areas: △Understanding of Entrepreneurship △Problem Identification and Definition △Creative Problem Solving △Entrepreneurship Design △Challenge towards the World. Students will be evaluated through processes such as observation, checklists, portfolios, and presentations, experiencing the development of actual business ideas and prototype production.
This education focuses not only on theoretical learning but also on instilling social value creation and a spirit of creative challenge. The goal is to help students grow into future-oriented individuals through specific activities like social change awareness, problem definition, networking, idea development, and social participation.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to promote nationwide expansion with the introduction of this textbook. This year, textbooks will be distributed for free to 360 schools, including business schools, specialized high schools, and meister high schools. During vacation periods, they also plan to train professional instructors through teacher job training, alongside developing supplementary materials and lecture content to improve the quality of education.
Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said, “We hope that through youth entrepreneurship education, talents who cultivate innovative thinking and creative problem-solving skills will grow into leaders who lead future society. We are eager for more schools to proactively use this textbook, giving young people opportunities to realize their ideas.”
Experts are evaluating this textbook introduction as an important turning point from traditional rote learning to practical learning. There is also a point that strengthening teacher capabilities and field support should accompany sustainable education spread and effective operation.
This attempt to integrate entrepreneurship into school education is drawing attention as it may become the driving force behind future societal change.
