Final report - European Commission - Europa

The education system:It is agreed that the entrepreneurial spirit should be included in curricula so that all students/pupils have achance to learn the skills required for this key element.A question that has been much discussed is whether the entrepreneurial spirit should be concentrated in a singlesubject or included as an interdisciplinary aspect of all the subjects taught ("mainstreaming"). A long discussionled to the following conclusion:In primary and secondary schools, where the aim is to convey skills, the entrepreneurial spirit should betouched on in all the subjects.In higher education, in addition to teaching where the student plays an active part in the process, it wouldbe a good idea to include courses specifically geared to gaining a knowledge of the world of business.Teachers have a crucial role to play in this entire process. They need training and support for this task. If theyare not enterprising and innovative themselves, it will be difficult to instil the entrepreneurial spirit into theirpupils.The importance of the role of entrepreneurs has been discussed. Entrepreneurs must take part in school activities,telling pupils about their experience. We need models that children and young people can relate to. A bookcontaining stories about young entrepreneurs has been suggested.A need has been identified for setting up sources of finance to support entrepreneurial initiatives.Finally, and on a personal note, I would like to say that we have not reached any very original conclusions; almost all ofthese recommendations had already been formulated at national, regional and European level. This conference hasbeen very useful nevertheless. It has enabled us to extend our knowledge and experience, and to realise that the timehas come for action. We must persuade our countries and regions to make efforts to promote enterprise and progress.72Entrepreneurship Education in Europe: Fostering Entrepreneurial Mindsets through Education and Learning