A CEO at 8 Years Old?

Newsflash!
8-year old CEO starts a tea business.
11-year old boy with a bow tie business which he started at 9.
15-year old boy sold an app to Yahoo for USD 30m.

We are fascinated by powerful, inspiring stories like these.

So the question is ‘Should children or teens be introduced to Entrepreneurship and financial Ed at primary and secondary school?’ Would they grow up with the right values? Would they end up becoming materialistic? And do they have time for their studies?

Not teaching this does not ensure that adults are automatically not materialistic nor do they all by default have all the right values when they become adults either.

I hear so many stories that in most schools children get scolded and punished for selling cookies, erasers, crystal bracelets etc in school. They got into a lot of trouble with their teachers, and principals. Just imagine the impression this makes on these children and the friends around them.

“When children or teens have businesses, let’s not focus on the idea that it’s all about money. Focus on the fact That they are making things happen.”

The danger is that the message children get at that age is that doing business is wrong. It is a bad thing. That stays with them till adulthood.

Wait! Isn’t going to school to prep the kids for their careers in the future? Most are going to be working in a...wait for it...a business!!

Aren’t studies to prep children to work in businesses or run businesses, their own or other people’s? Where is the connection right now between what they learn in school and  that world they are stepping out into?

When children or teens have businesses, let’s not focus on the idea that it’s all about money. Focus on the fact That they are making things happen. They are applying whatever knowledge they have and learning what they don’t have. They are making their knowledge practical.
That their skills have value.

Education has to be practical, not academic for the children and teen to work on theoretical stuff just for the sake of educating the children. The question is not if we should teach this but how do we make sure entrepreneurship becomes part of the school curriculum.

Join us at XcitED to find out how to build an education ecosystem like this. Join us and meet our little 8-year old CEO. Her hashtag is #toothlessceo.

Anne Tham
Group CEO and Founder
Sri Emas International School