The 3+2 Rs of school and education: Readin’, ritin’, ‘rithmetic, and …
When you’re a kid, you go to school to learn the basics, the three R’s, reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. But what is just as important in these three is adding two more Rs: Responsibility and Revenue. What do I mean? Let’s discuss this.
Responsibility. In this case, it means that kids should be taught taking responsibility:
- for themselves first,
- then for others second, which includes both determining the proper role of business and their local, state, and federal government in a society and the role of each individual’s involvement in the process to ensure a civil society.
I have used this illustration many times before, but it bears repeating:
Individual responsibility means taking care of yourself first, then helping others.
Just like you hear when flying in an airline that if the aircraft’s cabin depressurizes that you are to put on the oxygen mask on yourself first, then help others, so goes with being here on the ground, helping ourselves first and then others in our society.
Revenue. For this term I mean how to handle money in general, but with first staring with knowing how to handle:
- personal finances,
- how working for others affects money,
- having their own business to earn their own money,
- and lastly how the government and taxes affect each of the above perspectives of money.
This last part, revenue, is the last part that needs the most attention in our schools. Since parents may not be telling kids about finance, schools need to integrate that into the curriculum.
Kids Survey. According to the Kauffman Foundation‘s “Fact Sheet on 2007 Youth Interest in Entrepreneurship Survey,” those who want to have their own business say their top reasons are:
- to use their skills and abilities (92 percent),
- build something for their future (89 percent),
- be their own boss (87 percent),
- see their ideas realized (81 percent)
- and earn lots of money (85 percent).
Here are some links to further
- Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization: www.c-e-o.org
- DECA: www.deca.org
- Future Business Leaders of America: www.fbla-pbl.org
- Global Entrepreneurship Week: www.unleashingideas.org
- Global Student Entrepreneur Awards: www.gsea.org
- Hot Shot Business: www.hotshotbusiness.com
- Junior Achievement: www.ja.org
- Kauffman Campuses: www.kauffman.org/kauffmancampuses
- Mind Your Own Business: www.mindyourownbiz.org
- National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance: www.nciia.org
- National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship: www.nfte.com
- Students in Free Enterprise: www.sife.org
- NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation: www.nfib.com/page/YoungEntrepreneurFoundation
- Youth Venture: www.youthventure.org
The Daily Infographic “Who are the Entrepreneurs?” gives some insights into who the entrepreneurs are.
What information and sites do you recommend?
