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NCERT Textbooks to Teach Students About Startups, Entrepreneurship and Business Ideas: What Will Students Learn?
New Delhi: Entrepreneurship is set to enter the school syllabus as NCERT’s evolving curriculum aims to give students an insight into transforming ideas into businesses that create employment and solve problems. The new Grade 9 secondary stage syllabus has a unit, “From Ideas to Startups” that covers entrepreneurship, resources for business, startup ecosystems, business planning and basics of accounting.
The focus is on moving away from only learning about occupations as potential future careers to also understanding how products and services are conceptualised and take birth. To be clear, the official NCERT documents mention this unit as part of the secondary stage syllabus; it must not be read as a ‘startup textbook for all schools’.
What Will Students Learn About Startups?
The Grade 9 unit ‘From Ideas to Startups’ slated for 8 hours covers some interesting areas on entrepreneurship. As per the syllabus, students would learn what entrepreneurship is, resources needed for a business and their management. The syllabus also includes:
- Case studies on successful entrepreneurs
- Creative destruction and its examples
- India’s startup ecosystem
- Startup India, Make in India and Digital India
- Role of MSMEs and unorganised sector
- Stages of idea generation and execution
- Business-plan preparation
- Basic accounting
This is significant because entrepreneurship education links not only to innovative ideas but also to employment, resource management and economic growth.
From an Idea to a Business Plan
One of the most interesting aspects of the syllabus is the focus on taking a business idea through its various stages and planning a business, which includes preparing a business plan. For students, this could mean developing an idea and then working through questions like what problem it would solve or for whom the product or service would be relevant.
Additionally, the idea needs to be examined for the resources that would be required, and how best to go about executing the idea. According to the NCERT Learning Outcomes, students would also learn entrepreneurship’s role in innovation, employment and economic development, apart from analysing case studies of successful entrepreneurs and understanding the unique aspects of the startup ecosystem in India.
Why Entrepreneurship Is Entering School Education?
The move to include entrepreneurship in school education is in line with NEP 2020’s vision of shifting away from rote learning and focusing on experiential learning. Moreover, NEP 2020 highlights the need to link education with the local context. That is why there is a push for schools to tap into local specialisations, including entrepreneurship, agriculture, traditional arts and crafts, and so on.
The syllabus for vocational education under Samagra Shiksha also promotes entrepreneurship by encouraging relevant skill development, including communication, self-management, ICT and green skills. Moreover, students have the option of engaging in learning experiences such as field visits, and interaction with local industries and experts. This means entrepreneurship education can be contextualised and need not always take the form of a typical business-plan competition.
What About Existing NCERT Business Studies Books?
At present, NCERT has Business studies books for Classes XI and XII that cover business-related concepts and activities for starting and managing enterprises. These books are available on the official NCERT website, including individual chapters.
The new NCERT curriculum adds value by building awareness of entrepreneurship and startups at a much younger age, enabling students to learn about business studies basics before senior secondary classes.
Inclusive Learning for Every Child
Entrepreneurship education can also be a part of making learning more inclusive for students. While some students may aspire to become entrepreneurs, others may be interested in specific aspects of a business, such as design, accounts or marketing. Additionally, some students may have the potential to address a local social issue through a business idea, thereby contributing to their community’s welfare. Such an approach fits well with the NEP 2020 vision for inclusive education.
The PM SHRI scheme also promotes innovation in learning, including exposure to 21st-century skills and connecting schools to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. It also focuses on fostering high academic achievement while also promoting inclusion in school education.
What This Could Mean for Students
The most exciting aspect of this development is that it encourages students to think beyond the question, “What can I do for a living?” to “What can I create?” The inclusion of topics on ‘startup ecosystems’, ‘business planning’, ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘local economic development’ in the school syllabus would enable students to have a basic understanding of the concept of ideas taking shape as products, services and businesses.
For now, it is important for students and parents to note that while the official syllabus includes the unit ‘From Ideas to Startups’, it must not be read as a startup textbook for all schools. NCERT continues to release updated versions of textbooks and e-books that can be downloaded from the official website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Does NCERT have a startup textbook for Class 9?
The official documents mention the unit ‘From Ideas to Startups’ for Grade 9 secondary stage. It must not be read as a standalone compulsory textbook for all schools.
Q2. What will students learn about entrepreneurship?
They will learn entrepreneurship, resources for business, case studies on successful entrepreneurs, startup ecosystems, business planning, accounting, and the role of MSMEs.
Q3. Will students learn about India’s startup ecosystem?
Yes, the syllabus specifies India’s startup ecosystem apart from Startup India, Make in India and Digital India.
Q4. Why is entrepreneurship being introduced in school education?
Entrepreneurship education links to innovative ideas, employment, economic growth and practical aspects of taking a business idea into execution.
Q5. Is entrepreneurship only for students who want to start companies?
Entrepreneurship education is not only for students who wish to start companies, as it also develops skill-sets relevant for diverse fields of academics and careers.
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