Junior MBA programme to help tiny tots talk business

Children as young as five will be learning how to create business plans under a Dubai school's new 'Junior MBA' programme.

Arcadia Preparatory School is calling this the first entrepreneurship programme for primary students in the region. It will be based on the first year MBA (master of business administration) programme. Students from Year 1 and above will cover areas such as finance, management, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

At the end of the programme, students will be given an opportunity to present their business ideas in front of their parents.

"The Arcadia Junior MBA is designed to be an integral part of our 'enrichment learning programme' and will offer pupils the opportunity to create their own business plans. An initiative of this nature will plant the early seeds of entrepreneurship in the minds of young children and teach them how businesses can positively impact society," said Navin Valrani, CEO of Arcadia Preparatory School.

"Some day, these ideas may even turn out to be real businesses for Arcadia's pupils. We look forward to doing our bit in inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs."

Valrani himself has designed the programme. He is a graduate of two of the world's leading business schools - Wharton School of Business and London Business School.

Students will get an opportunity to learn from Valrani's experience, who has served as an executive board member of the Wharton School, as well as a member of the International Alumni Council of London Business School.

Arcadia, located in Jumeirah Village Triangle, is known to "revolutionise" the educational landscape in the UAE.

The UK curriculum school was launched in August last year. Announcing that children were carrying "too many textbooks" in their bags, the school digitalised most of the books.

Students carry a single iPad, which has all of the information they need for lessons preloaded. A few textbooks are stored in class, but the majority of the syllabus is stored on iPads.

When it first launched, it opened with a mission to become an 'apple distinguished school', offering teachers with an all-Apple platform to help with professional development.

"In aspiring to become an 'apple distinguished school', we are creating unique opportunities for personal learning at every level within the school - from Foundation Stage One right through to Key Stage Two.

"Lessons will be more dynamic, interactive and immersive via the power of touch, motion and sound. Pupils' assignments can be sketched, scored, charted, coded or even performed, all of which opens up new opportunities for learning and creativity," Valrani had said at the time.

Source: Khaleej Times