Saturday, June 16, 2007

Education - An Enterprise

Man, by his very nature, is a businessman. This has been a neverending refrain of mine in most of my classes and I might possible elucidate on that line later on. For now, though, I must smile with satisfaction at the business acumen that my Form 3 students have been showing.

Currently, we have roaring trade within the school premises and students are enjoying this activity, as a result of which teaching has become more stimulating. Around two months ago, I gave each member of the class - I have 15 in this class - a loan of Kwacha 100 000 (USD 25) as capital to start up and run a business venture. This loan was financed by the school and the students are to pay back this loan at the end of this business project, which will terminate in March 2008. Twenty per cent of the profits made by each enterprise will be donated to charity, while the rest of it will be shared out by the "owners".

I outlined the plan to them and the students decided to form different groups so that they could pool their capital and start up reasonable ventures within their scope. The first business venture started with the sales of T-shirts which were imported from South Africa and "personalised" with art work. Slowly, one other enterprise started selling lollipops which offered them a 68% profit margin. With the success of the "sweet" industry, competition emerged and we now have five different groups selling cakes, crisps, fudge, pastries and other bits and bites. With five different groups trying to satisfy the school market, it has become extremely competitive and students have approached me to grant them "exclusive rights" to sell certain items because they thought of it first!!! Notice boards are gaining a semblance of further interest, with colourful advertisements taking up space. I am sometimes reminded of the lines, "One a penny, two a penny," when I see a student walking around school during the lunch interval with a packet of lollies or a box of fudge, selling his or her wares. Talk about the "collective unconscious" of the human race.

I, of course, monitor the work they do and ensure that they do not break school rules. One group has already repaid the loan that the school has given them and are now working on the profits that they have made. In tandem with this, I am covering their syllabus in regular lessons and outline the theory with examples taken from their own businesses. In fact, to emphasise how effective this project could be to their learning, I explained the Ansoff Matrix - which is part of the A Level course - using their businesses as examples.

The students are learning and discovering more about themselves as well. One student - who feels that she has given her partnership more than the partnership has given her - has branched out on her own after having taken her share of the "firm" on leaving. Another student has spoken out against the "excessive and unhealthy consumption" of sweets and chocolate. I am sure, as I write this, that a pressure group is being formed! I, for my part, am enjoying this thriving project and learning about the students themselves, their personalities and their sense of enterprise. And, as another one of my maxims go, I "learn something new every day:" about myself, about teaching and about the businesspersons that we all are.

These businesses are expected to run till March 2008, the end of which they will provide a Annual Report at a meeting with the administrators of the school. Until then, let us hope that the students and myself continue learning more about Business Studies - and about ourselves! For after all, education by itself is an enterprise: an investment whose stock can only rise with time.