IDF 2019 Selected Speakers: Kalvin Sandabunga Recommends a Compulsory Entrepreneurship Curriculum for High Schools

Kalvin Sandabunga

So far, the entrepreneurship curriculum for high schools is still optional and the material is very limited. According to the IDF 2019 Elected Speaker Kalvin Sandabunga, entrepreneurship should be a compulsory curriculum for all high schools.

“Vocational and general high schools have to include this in their curriculum, and this is not only for students of social science’s majors, but also for all majors. However, to start with, it is better to start with schools at the provincial level," said Kalvin who presented his work using the title "Introducing the Entrepreneurship Curriculum to Improve High School Graduates' Entrepreneurial Skills: A Case Study of a Private School in Makassar ".

Kalvin Sandabunga works as a Curriculum Coordinator and Trainer at the Dian Harapan Makassar School, owned by the Pelita Harapan Education Foundation. Kalvin is very interested in the world of education, teaching, research, and community service. Kalvin is a graduate of Pelita Harapan University majoring in Biology.

An awardee of the Australia Awards Indonesia Scholarship, Kalvin holds a Master of Education in Expert Teaching Practice from Monash University, Australia.  He joined a number of institutions for research on education and teaching.

Through his presentation, Kalvin explained that entrepreneurship education is not always to direct children to become entrepreneurs, but because learning entrepreneurship provides a number of advantages.

"There are three advantages, first, learning skills include creative thinking, critical thinking, the ability to collaborate and communicate," he said. 

Second, entrepreneurship encourages students to master technology and media.

Third, build life skills such as soft leadership and social skills

These three advantages, said Kalvin, are reflected in the practice of entrepreneurship curriculum which students have to learn at Dian Harapan High School in Makassar, South Sulawesi, where he works. 

"So this is what Dian Harapan School has been doing since 2016 and it has resulted in an increase in the three domains," he said.

Kalvin said entrepreneurship education must be more contextual. Kalvin gave an example, in Dian Harapan Makassar School, as students are mostly from a family which has businesses, they are guided to do trade or to become distributors.

“At the village level, they are taught how to process raw materials into products that are more ready to use and ready to sell. Including how to processing agricultural products for example cassava or banana to become a variety of products with good packaging," explained Kalvin. 

Emphasizing Business Practices 

Entrepreneurship education must emphasize more business practices. Kalvin explained in detail his entrepreneurship lessons at Dian Harapan School within a span of one year.  In the first semester, students are taught more about theories and research. Entering the second semester, students must begin field practice.

"Starting with making a business plan, then executing, branding goods, trading, then there are financial calculations, then the presentation," said Kalvin.

At Dian Harapan School, students from social majors mostly practice food business and handicraft products.

"Well, there are science students who make sink cleaning products and other products, according to what they learn," he said.

Students carry out almost all stages of business practice even on a small scale. To ensure students can achieve the learning objectives, all activities from the planning stage to the follow-up stage are recorded in a progress journal.

Students explain the progress of their business plan step by step. Every development achieved by students is monitored and acted upon by the teacher. In addition, the supporting instruments they use to market their products are also well documented.

"When students start designing products, checking locations of sale, and even when they have started marketing products, they document it in the form of photos and videos," he added.

Likewise, to see the impact of this entrepreneurship class, there must be a final report containing financial statements and group evaluations that can be used as authentic assessments.

"Reports and group evaluations can be used to measure the extent to which business plans have been achieved compared to the results obtained," said Kalvin.

Students became more exposed to technological advancement and their skills became improved and comprehensive. Students carry out the practice of designing flyers, posters or videos, making mascots and brands, and using social media as a platform for product marketing.

Dian Harapan School has surveyed students, parents, and teachers related to entrepreneurial learning outcomes. Parents said their children were interested in these activities. The impact on students is that they become more independent.

"They are not spoiled anymore. Parents gave testimonials that their children value money more, as they had realized how hard it was to earn money. They know they should not simply ask and then spend it," he added.

Kalvin gave his presentation at the IDF 2019 Imagine, Reforming the Vocational Education and Training (TVET) session System for Future Jobs on July 23, 2019. Kalvin's research set out the points discussed designing the TVET curriculum to prepare the next generation according to the needs of the future workforce, which is in Sub-theme 2: Reforming the Vocational Education and Training (TVET) System for Future Jobs.  Discussion about TVET became an important policy recommendation from a series of topics related to IDF 2019 main theme, "Mission Possible: Seizing the Opportunities of Future Work to Drive Inclusive Growth".