The history of entrepreneurship education in the United Kingdom: 1860-2020

This paper examines the history of entrepreneurship education (EE) in the United Kingdom (UK), exploring different forms and types as they have emerged over time. The study uses a wide range of sources, including both secondary (e.g. published papers, historical records of specific programmes, and enterprise policy documents) and primary accounts that document the lived experience of educators. It constructs these sources into a chronology, identifies different types of practice and constructs these into four primary forms. From this work, the paper presents an enhanced understanding of entrepreneurship education. It synthesizes influential types, illustrating how and why practice has evolved, and concludes by arguing for a more sustainable pathway via a new approach of ‘Harmonious Entrepreneurship Education.’