Many calls to introduce entrepreneurship in schools as a subject have been made by different education commentators. Even the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has made this call many times in the past. During the GEC (Global Economic Congress 2017), Ramaphosa was quoted “Most importantly, they (learners) must leave school appreciating that entrepreneurship can be a viable career option. While many people have the aptitude to be successful entrepreneurs, our experience in South Africa is that many struggles to fulfil their potential without effective support,” (Venktess, 2017). This shows a desperate need for entrepreneurship in our country and schools can be a tool to execute this mandate. But the question is : Is South African mass education system, capable to roll out Entrepreneurship subject relevant to career paths learners have chosen for themselves? For instance, can this system introduce Entrepreneurship subject meant for a learner interested in starting a business in Law, Accounting, Enginineering – Law firms, Accounting firms, Engineering firms, Agricultural factories, etc? How will the education curriculum developers ensure that Entrepreneurship subject is relevant to every child and it addresses the business side of learners desired path? What is the wayforward? What is to be done? What is the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS) position on this? What is the Solution? This paper aims at responding to these questions through a thorough discussion on the importance of Business of trade subject for every PECS schools.

According to the curriculum requirements and policies of Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS) all career paths must have a compulsory subject called Business of trade (Introduction of Entrepreneurship subject). Business of trade mean the entrepreneurial subject aimed at encouraging learners to venture into business in accordance with their trade (career path) they have chosen. For instance, Business of trade subject teaches learners from the School of Engineering how to venture into Engineering firms – its operations, management, policies, contracts, corporate social investment, partnerships, marketing, and branding etc.

Business of trade subject plays an incredible role in ensuring that the learners are equipped with business skills for their chosen trade. This subject is meant to provoke the entrepreneurial spirit within learners. It teaches learners to venture into owning businesses rather than looking for employment. In turn, they are equipped to become employers themselves and thus helping with unemployment rate alleviation in our country. The reason Entrepreneurship is still not a subject in schools  is the confusion it will create amongst the learners and the realization of its importance. It is a question of relevancy towards an individual learner traits and career path choices, that is why after so many years the subject is still not introduced.

Business of trade in the School of Hospitality, Catering and Tourism means that learners are specifically taught the business side of this course – meaning in the process of producing Professional chefs, flight attendants, culinary specialists etc, the entrepreneurs, in the same stream, are produced. School of law will produce both Lawyers, Attorneys, Law firms’ practitioners, Accountants will venture into their own Accounting firms.  School of Journalism and Media Studies learners will understand how to venture into an independent media house practice. Business of trade subject will serve the purpose of Entrepreneurship as a subject and making learning meaningful.

The introduction of Entrepreneurship subject (Business of trade) in schools would be appropriate in a Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS) than in a current mass education system in South Africa. It would be appropriate because it will find learners already relevantly categorised in accordance with their career paths which then makes it easy to identify which entrepreneurial domain to focus on. This will eliminate the burdening of learners with entrepreneurship subject that contain the irrelevant content for their career path choices.

Our conclusion, Simnandi Solutions (Pty) Ltd organization is of the view that introduction of Entrepreneurship as a subject in secondary schools is a positive move, however, this move is only viable and perfect in a Personalized Education Curriculum  System (PECS) environment than the current mass education environment on which the South African government plans to introduce it on. This will overload and confuse learners in particular on the aspects of this subject’s importance and relevancy to their career paths.