Standardising or not standardising the Rwanda entrepreneurship curriculum

Lately, there is this major talk on standardization, and in different circumstances. Entrepreneurship has not been left behind in this scheme of things. Dictionaries don’t seem to agree on the word ‘standardize’. It could mean to cause to conform to a benchmark or to evaluate by comparing with a model. On the other hand, the business dictionaries have it as the formulation, publication, and implementation of guidelines, rules, and specifications for common and repeated use, aimed at achieving optimum degree of order or uniformity in a given context, discipline, or field. Standardisation can also refer to the process of developing and implementing technical standards. Standardisation can help to maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality. It can facilitate commoditisation of formerly custom processes. Social scientists and economists see the idea of standardisation as close to the solution for a coordination problem; a situation in which all parties can realize mutual gains, but only by making mutually consistent decisions. Here standardisation is defined as best technical application consensual wisdom inclusive of processes for selection in making appropriate choices for ratification coupled with consistent decisions for maintaining obtained standards. Standardization is important. It helps the various stakeholders to easily communicate through the set guidelines, in order to maintain focus. It also establishes yardsticks of various kinds and improving efficiency. This is the same with the entrepreneurship curriculum. We, however, need to know what we want and seek. We have to start from the beginning. We need to ask the right questions to get the right answers. What is the problem on the ground? Is the problem uniformly occurring? Does it have only one cause? If not how do the different causes combine to contribute to the problem? It is worth noting that the mere existence of a published standard does not necessarily imply that it is useful and/or correct. We have to be careful. We could standardise the entrepreneurship curriculum and still get it wrong. Just because an item is stamped with a standard number does not, by itself, indicate that the item is fit for any particular use. The users of the curriculum have the responsibility to consider the available standards, specify the correct one, enforce compliance, and use the item correctly. Validation of suitability is necessary. With regards to the entrepreneurship curricula in Rwanda, the one thing that misses out most of the time is practicals. Entrepreneurship is a ‘doing’ subject that calls for application of various branches of knowledge to create something new or solve an old problem in a new way. The curricula we have now are either all theory or are designed ‘quick fixes’ that frankly only succeed in putting on appearances. The best imagery is the process of training someone to look after cattle or to grow crops. Whereas theoretical process would do great to inculcate an appreciation of cattle or crops, nothing would make the learner understand like practical grazing of cultivation sessions. Unfortunately, our curricula right from the high school through post school to university are woefully thin on practicals. We give the cost excuse but valid as it is, it raises that question of creativity on the part of the trainer. As an applied science that is dependent on other ‘core’ subjects among others, entrepreneurship is unlikely to succeed in cases where the grasp of the said subjects is weak. Our approach to standardisation must be based on at least four levels: compatibility between different scenarios, interchangeability of approaches based on the target groups, commonality of the basics and reference of the success stories. It must be noted that curriculum development is an important step in developing entrepreneurship. However, it is one of the many aspects we must address; there are others that need equal if not more attention. The bottom line is that we must develop entrepreneurship in order to achieve our vision 2020. It is not some fad. Sam Kebongo is an entrepreneurship Development Consultant based in Kigali.