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An enterprising future
Pupils' growing interest in social enterprise has sparked an evolution in enterprise education that will modernise the new curriculum.
The SQA confirmed that from 2014, the new level 4 and 5 qualifications in Business Studies (currently Standard Grade and Higher) will include Social Enterprise as a model of doing business and will give pupils the opportunity to set up and research a social enterprise.
More than 200 schools are already running pupil-led social enterprises, with hundreds of pupils from three to 16 involved in businesses across Scotland, including market gardens and food production, book and music shops, nail bars, uniform and other forms of recycling, community cafés and bike recycling.
The Scottish Social Enterprise Academy has worked at the forefront of the movement since 2008, inspiring teachers about social enterprise and celebrating the achievements of young people with their annual Social Enterprise in Schools awards, which were awarded to Paisley Grammar and St Nicholas Primary in West Lothian this year.
SEA delivers CPD courses for teachers and plans to launch new teacher guidance on social enterprise in 2012 to allow time for planning the new curriculum. Sandra Ewen, the Social Enterprise Academy schools manager, said: "Scottish education is currently undergoing its biggest change for a century. The Social Enterprise in Schools programme encourages young people to discover and develop their entrepreneurial skills and introduces them to social enterprise as a way of doing better business."
Find out more about the Social Enterprise Academy at www.theacademy-ssea.org