Mandatory Business Education?

Posted by Sherrie Koretke on Sep 13, 2011 in Business Start Up, Current Businesses | 46 comments

This post is a little different from my normal posts. I thought about writing it for a guest post but this is a viewpoint I want to own and get feedback on for my own research. So here it goes . . .

My opinion is that we need to have required business and economic education in high school. We teach our kids math, science, and language arts in high school. Important information to know, for sure. But why don’t we teach high school students about the fundamentals of business and the economy?

This is a question I have been asking myself for years because I have seen major flaws in the way the general public perceives business and the economy. (The false beliefs about big corporations and how they are run are even more rampant.)

What do I mean by this?

There are unrealistic views of what businesses can and cannot do.
There is a belief that an economy can turn on a dime just because a new president is elected.
There is the belief that money can come from out of nowhere to give everyone a raise.
There is the belief that corporations are separate entities with their own minds.

I believe this even though most people won’t own a business or even work in one. You may ask why I think there is a need for business education. I would flippantly respond: Why did I need to learn science when I never intended to become a scientist? Think about that for a minute.

Here’s a short list of reasons why I would love it if everyone had basic knowledge about business and the economy:

When people listen to a politician promise sweeping changes in family leave policies you would know that it could potentially bankrupt smaller corporations.
When people hear a store makes a 50 percent markup on their products they don’t assume the business is “rolling” in profits. They would know that there are taxes, payroll, rent, and many other expenses taken out before a profit is declared.
When a union leader tells people that they deserve a significant raise and more time off they’ll know that during a poor economy that would be economically unfeasible for a business or school district. They won’t assume it’s corporate or government greed.
When people realize that they don’t want to be employed any more and start a MLM business they will have basic business knowledge.
When people pirate movies and music they would understand the long-term effects on the entertainment industry and future availability of entertainment.

On a side note to the above information: While in high school I realized I might be interested in business so I took all the businesses courses available. Typing and Adding Machine. What those classes taught me was that I didn’t want to be a secretary. Considering that business careers are where millions and millions of people go for jobs don’t you think a little education would help them before heading to college? Or even helping them make a decision to even go to college or start a business?

So what do you think? Do think we need to offer a basic level of business education in high school or even college? In what ways do you see people are lacking in this knowledge and how would it benefit all of us if they were better educated? What are some alternatives for educating youth on business and the economy?

Disclaimer: I’m fully aware of the state of the economy and what the expense would be to implement such a program. This is just a discussion on why this isn’t a common class offered. I also realize that not everyone will understand and use the information in a big picture fashion but I’m allowed to dream on my own blog.

I would love to get a conversation going on this subject! Please leave a comment below!

I love helping people find their life’s work and get them moving on their path fast! Be sure to enroll in your free E-course “Five Ways to Leverage the Power of You” to the right of this post. —->