Accra, Parliament House — The Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, Dr. Stephen Amoah, has defended his proposal for the introduction of entrepreneurship as part of Ghana’s Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) curricula, insisting that the move is critical to addressing graduate unemployment and unlocking the country’s economic potential.
Speaking to the media after delivering a statement on the Floor of Parliament, Dr. Amoah explained that his proposal is driven by the worrying employment statistics facing tertiary graduates.
“Just about 10 percent out of over 106,000 to 109,000 students who graduate from tertiary institutions each year secure regular employment within a short period after graduation,” he stated. “This leaves our socio-economic space highly congested with unemployed graduates.”
According to him, Ghana must align with global trends where entrepreneurship education is increasingly embedded within school systems.
“All over the world, we are going entrepreneurial. Most schools abroad teach entrepreneurship as a course. So we need to begin to consider that option seriously,” he said.
Call for Early Exposure
Dr. Amoah emphasized that introducing entrepreneurship at the basic and secondary levels would help young people develop the appetite, knowledge, and practical skills needed to create jobs rather than rely solely on government or corporate employment.
“I am calling on government and policy makers to consider including entrepreneurship in the JHS and SHS academic curriculum so that our young people will develop the know-how and experience to create jobs,” he stressed.
He reiterated that the private sector remains the engine of economic growth, driven largely by investors and entrepreneurs.
Responding to Criticism
The Nhyiaeso MP revealed that while many Members of Parliament commended his proposal, a few raised concerns, arguing that business-related subjects are already being taught in schools.
“Some said we already teach business in schools, so why introduce this again?” he recounted. “But if you check elsewhere, schools offer business studies and they also offer entrepreneurship separately. They are not exactly the same.”
He also clarified comments attributed to the Majority Leader, stating that he never suggested there was a problem with entrepreneurship in Ghana.
“I never said there is a problem with entrepreneurship. What I said is that entrepreneurship is not being taught as a structured course in our country, and we need to look at that,” he explained.
Unlocking Ghana’s Natural Resources
Dr. Amoah argued that Ghana’s abundance of raw materials presents enormous opportunities for enterprise development, but the country continues to export many resources in their raw form without adding value.
“We either export them in their raw form and gain very little, and because of that we do not create enough jobs,” he noted. “We need to teach our young people how to identify business opportunities and take advantage of our natural resources.”
Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
Addressing the long-standing debate about whether entrepreneurs are born or made, Dr. Amoah rejected the notion that entrepreneurship is purely genetic.
“It is not wholly or 100 percent true that entrepreneurs are born,” he said. “Yes, there are environmental and genetic factors. Some people are naturally gifted. But others acquire the skills through training and experience.”
He likened entrepreneurship to football talent, explaining that even naturally gifted players require training to excel.
“Even those born with talent still need training because the world we live in is dynamic. Sometimes training even uncovers hidden entrepreneurial abilities,” he added.
Dr. Amoah maintained that formalizing entrepreneurship education within Ghana’s school curriculum would help nurture both natural talent and acquired skills, ultimately contributing to job creation and economic transformation.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
