To provide a subject that is more relevant and applicable in practical life, students of class XI will learn Business and Entrepreneurship in place of commerce subject from this academic year. The reform to implement the Business and Entrepreneurship subject was initiated after the recommendation of the national curriculum conference in 2016.
The new curriculum will help to build the required skills and competencies for the students even if they leave schools after class XII.
“Through this subject, enough skills and competencies will be developed, if ever students do not want to continue their studies. They can directly use these skills and competencies developed to establish a business undertaking. This will help them to earn their livelihood. While those who want to continue, it will have a very smooth transition to the RUB colleges especially Gedu college of business studies,” said Tashi Zangpo, a Curriculum Developer at the Royal Education Council.
He said the curriculum incorporated the 21st-century focus on achieving four skills of creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. ” It is a project basis learning whereby the 50% of the assessment will be done based on the project to develop holistic skills and competencies in this subject.”
To prepare for the subject, the training and the orientation were conducted for the teachers in 75 different schools.
“The commerce is mainly a textual based. It hardly gives opportunities for the students to learn skills and put in all those skills in their real life. Whereas business and entrepreneurship give a platform for the students to come up with their own idea, own talents, creativity and innovations. Whatever they learn in the schools they can really put into practice now. Not only that, this curriculum is totally student-centred. Students are given more opportunity to learn,” said Tshering Dema, a Teacher at the MotithangHigher Secondary School.
Development of business model and plans, creativity and business innovation, pitching business ideas to the investors, and financial literacy are included in the subject.
Kelzang Choden/ Namgay Wangchuk
