South Africa’s curriculum irrelevancy is an old narrative. The current status of the curriculum in South Africa is atrocious. Different education stakeholders ranging from parents, the market and students themselves continuously share an outcry for a relevant and career-oriented curriculum system. Unfortunately, this call is not attended to. The lack of answering this call is derived from indifference from those who hold power to respond despite the consistent large budget cuts for education from the national budget expenditure. This proves that South African educational problems are man-made; solutions are available, but not adhered to deliberately.
Curriculum conundrums facing the CAPS Curriculum involve major strongly interrelated factors such as; curriculum irrelevancy, failed curriculum transformation, curriculum disengagement, curriculum isolation, mass affair curriculum, failed inclusive curriculum, failed career-oriented curriculum, curriculum imbalances, curriculum imposition, and many others. Despite the inseparable relationships amongst these factors, a separate discussion of each factor permits the gaining of a deeper understanding of the need to transform the curriculum system at all costs.
An example that encapsulates and covers all the curriculum conundrums stated above is found within (The Connected Educator, 2021), through an assertion that educational institutuons always focus on completing the curriculum instead of preparing students for the future, with most of the curriculum content designed disengaging students from focusing on the future. The Connected Educator further argues that the establishment of a none- career-oriented curriculum is one of the biggest hurdles for the school system, thus calling on educators and school leaders to design curricula according to modern trends. This assertion points out the failure to provide a curriculum that is personalized to the individualistic traits of every learner. For as long as learners interested in careers in the Sports fraternity have no relevant subjects that help them find meaning in school, curriculum conundrums remain unresolved. Sports Coaching, Sports Journalism, Sports Development, Sports marketing, etc. remain far-fetched subjects within the basic education level. Any student interested in any sports career is automatically compelled to settle for other available subjects as promulgated by Caps Curriculum (NCS) and this signifies the level of curriculum imposition, curriculum irrelevancy, curriculum disengagement, etc.
If transforming the curriculum is anything to go by, an academic-revolutionary approach would be the direction to take. This approach refers to robust and aggressive deliberations on curriculum affairs. These deliberations should be rooted in the academic scope of viewing matters to ensure informed and supported resolutions, hence the “academic-revolutionary approach”. This approach has to be facilitated by experts in curriculum studies, education commentators, researchers, etc. In the midst of such engagements, the most significant role player to which utmost adherence should be ensured is the voice of the education communities (parents, learners, teachers, the market, etc.). This is because the outcome of such engagements on curriculum transformation should excellently respond to the question the education community asked – the curriculum rollout as a result of engagements should be a response to the education communities’ outcry regarding curriculum matters.
It is a known reality that basic education (High School level) is treated as though it is a discovery center where learners do not know what they want to do and thus they have to do all sorts of subjects and only have a career specialization when they enter higher education (tertiary level). Others supports this education mediocre by stating “learners should be well balanced and exposed to a range of subjects to ensure informed career paths in the future”. Yes, in primary schools it should be the case, High School is not a career path discovery roadtrip!High school should not be treated as elementary school! As is the case in many other countries, high school should be an academic space where students begin shaping up desired careers already. In the continued illusion of treating high school as a discovery centre, careers, and passions are aborted and destroyed by the mass affair curriculum that prevent students from the relevant and meaningful curriculum.
The mentioned revolution’s onus will be; to introduce and establish an open, accommodative curriculum system that refuses to group together learners of different future aspirations. Establish a curriculum that is against the rollout of imposed compulsory subjects for all learners in different streams of learning. Erect the curriculum system that will help, for instance, young aspiring Journalists in public High Schools to take as their subjects; Multimedia Journalism, Photojournalism, Mass Communication, and Ethics, Broadcasting Journalism, News Reporting, Political Studies, etc. A curriculum in favor of learners’ educational needs. The curriculum will not be associated with the above-mentioned curriculum conundrums. The Connected Educator is again in concurrence positing that the current education model is not designed to meet the needs of modern students, the old curriculum that never links with the practical world never let students progress forward, therefore, this outdated education model needs to be updated with modern education trends that will help students to showcase their talent and understand modern development more effectively.
The academic revolution under consideration is already in place. The mentioned accommodative curriculum is already in place too. In accordance with (Glines, 2012:176) who predictively quotes from Anthony Blair positing that a revolution, like in politics and economy, will occur in education too; where there would be a movement against the education system that; every child at the same age has to choose from a compulsory list of subjects as his curriculum. The Simnandi education solutions (Pty) Ltd education group is that revolution! Personalised Education Curriculum System (PECS) established by Simnandi Education Solutions advocates for a personalized curriculum that caters to the distinct educational needs of every student with full adherence to unique individualistic capabilities and future desires. The intention with which PECS is established is to ensure relevant future and career-oriented curricula for all students without indirectly imposing on them a different curriculum irrelevant to their future desires.
It is for this reason that PECS seeks to reverse the current curriculum irrelevancy into curriculum relevancy. The PECS is designed to save learners from the monstrous curriculum that forces them to undertake subjects they won’t need in the future. PECS is a transformative education curriculum system that, through its nature of design, will put an end to the whole confusion around curriculum debates. PECS will further sort out the pass requirement standards once and for all. PECS seeks to bring back the value and dignity of our education system. PECS ensures that learners taste a glimpse of the workplace experience while still at school. That’s what makes PECS unique and highly relevant to inspire the education community of our nation, South Africa, and the whole of Africa. And that is how we believe the education system can be fixed.
Know more about PECS: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/personalized-education/ – Click on PECS Powerpoint presentation.
Please answer these 3 questions and submit them: https://simnandisolutions.co.za/pecs – Questionnaires
Bibliography:
The Connected Educator,2021. What are the Biggest Challenges in Today’s Education System?. https://theconnectededucator.com/what-are-the-biggest-challenges-in-todays-education-system/