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I am concerned for the children

Care Bears 2 File photo

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 Source: Lilly Adjorkor Adjei

Formulating a decision on the concept of the right form of education has suddenly become an enormous political matter in Ghana.

The transition from the industrial age to the information age has caused a situation whereby the quality of information you possess and what you do with it determines your economic value.

This has led to increased importance for entrepreneurship.

The paradigm shift to entrepreneurship now requires a new approach to learning.

Consequently, as a society, we ought to invest and inculcate the requisite skills into children.

This should help them leapfrog Ghana’s lag in the development of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and level the playing field with respect to their counterparts in the future global market.

Kidpreneurship is the term I intend using to describe this process.

So as a sequel to my article “Money Grows on Trees When Planted Right”, children should not be shielded from learning some important life skills and concepts.

It prepares them to hunt on their own when the time is right.

There is the growing crop of graduates who are venturing out on their own to create their own employment and employing others.

What skills do they possess? I say they are:

Inquirers – ‘Feem? di? oobi sane ts?’, Ga, meaning, keep quiet; you’re asking too many questions. That should not be the case.

Children are by nature very curious about their surroundings.

Therefore we ought to nurture them to develop skills for inquiry by encouraging them to ask the right questions and look for appropriate answers.

Thinkers – Let’s involve our children in critical thinking and allow them to be creative.

The focus should be on problems in our immediate surroundings and let’s help them develop responsible solutions to fixing these problems at home, school or wherever they may find themselves.

Caregivers – A show of empathy, compassion and respect is under threat in the Ghanaian society.

The greatest entrepreneurs are those who see a need and provide a service to meet that need. Let’s teach our children to care; we need caregivers.

And finally,

Risk takers – We should not fear challenges; challenges are in themselves potential solutions to problems.

Let’s train children to take risks by approaching risks with forethought and determination.

Allow your children to go on guided tours, travels and hiking, involve your kids in the family business, help your kids set up a lemonade stand, khebab stand, water stand, or write a storybook, blog, take interest in photography, operate a sound mixer, plant trees, learn to play a musical instrument, set up a farm or teach other kids in the neighbourhood.

Allow them explore new technologies in science, art, construction, engineering, agriculture and help them experiment as much as possible.

Remember there is a wind of change blowing and that wind is entrepreneurship.

Allow your kids to be kidprenuers according to their own interests.

Your children’s education should surpass the things that AI cannot do.

Feedback; ato@writersghana.com

Columnist: Lilly Adjorkor Adjei