Malta has lagged behind most other countries in the EU when instilling a business culture in children from a young age.

If Europe wants to stay competitive, it must invest in its people and in their skills

Entrepreneurship is considered an important skill by the majority of European education authorities.

Nearly two-thirds of EU member states have specific strategies or include entrepreneurship education in their national curriculum.

Malta, however, is only now gearing up to include these skills as part of schoolchildren’s everyday learning experience.

A study called Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe points out that the issue was included in Malta’s draft National Curriculum Framework released for consultation in May 2011.

This document proposes education for entrepreneurship should become a cross-curricular theme essential for the education of all students and for achieving the overall aims of education.

The European Commission report commends the Maltese initiative. An official said: “If Europe wants to stay competitive, it must invest in its people, in their skills, in their ability to adapt and in their ability to innovate.

“This means that we need to encourage a real change of mindset in Europe towards entrepreneurial attitudes and this starts by instilling a spirit of entrepreneurship from early education onwards.”