Mendy and Madiope (2002) reference (Esakov, 2009; Clark, 2002; Shay, 2015) to define curriculum transformation as the process of reforming or renewing the curriculum, encompassing alterations in teaching and learning content. This concept also encompasses the practices and procedures employed by higher education institutions (HEIs) as part of their social responsibility, addressing concerns such as the need for Africanization. In essence, curriculum transformation signifies substantial and essential changes within the curriculum. Contrary to common misconceptions associating curriculum transformation solely with changes in textbooks, school rules, and operational procedures, it encompasses a broader scope. Key elements informing curriculum transformation include social justice, learning objectives, skills acquisition, relevance to the job market, and fostering independent, socially contributing citizens. This paper aims to delve into the journey of curriculum change in South Africa and how many critical aspects of curriculum transformation were disregarded.
The history of curriculum reform in South Africa can be traced back to the 1954 Bantu Education Act, which aimed to prepare black children primarily for manual labor roles rather than intellectual or professional careers (Moore, 2015). Armstrong (1999) reveals that on March 24, 1997, the Minister of Education, Sibusiso Bhengu, launched Curriculum 2005, which was expected to bring about a fundamental shift in South African education, addressing historical imbalances. While South Africa successfully dismantled the apartheid education system, the subsequent curriculum changes failed to focus adequately on learning objectives and the envisioned workforce and citizens of the country, missing the opportunity to implement a practical curriculum system that aligns with these goals.
Despite the introduction of Curriculum 2005 in 1997 and subsequent initiatives like the Revised National Curriculum Statement – RNCS (2004), NCS (2007), and CAPS in 2012, the South African curriculum remained largely unchanged, following a one-size-fits-all model. Learners continued to study subjects that lacked relevance to their life aspirations, indicating that policy changes had occurred rather than genuine curriculum transformation. This stagnation is evident in the high youth unemployment rate in South Africa, learners struggling to find meaning in their school curriculum, and parents opting to enroll their children in private schools. Mamphela Ramphele even boldly asserted that the education system had deteriorated compared to the apartheid-era education system (Mail & Guardian, 2012). Claims such as these are signaling the reality that the education curriculum reform or transformation in South Africa is bogus, the system is not effectively addressing the learning objectives and it is failing to achieve the learning objectives that appear on paper.
A transformed education curriculum system would see South Africa undertake a comprehensive educational reform and address the deficiencies in the current curriculum, it will replace the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) with an entirely new curriculum. This revamped curriculum will differentiate between aspiring accountants, doctors, businessmen/women, journalists, etc. segregating learners into separate institutions according to their chosen career paths. It will allow learners to choose whether or not to study Afrikaans and involve the job market in curriculum design for relevance. This practical curriculum will guide students toward their career choices, accommodate individualistic traits and unique talents, and ensure that students struggling with subjects like Math or English Literature still have promising futures. This new curriculum is called the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS).
The Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS) represents an educational approach that tailors itself to the unique characteristics and future aspirations of each individual student. It is a customized curriculum system that aims to guide learners directly toward their chosen career paths through a meticulously crafted assessment program and an innovative teaching strategy. A personalized education curriculum system prioritizes a balance between theoretical and practical learning and keeps a forward-looking perspective. Unlike traditional mass education systems, where students with various career aspirations, such as lawyers, doctors, pilots, politicians, actuaries, chefs, and more, share the same classroom and are taught by a single teacher using a uniform teaching style, PECS takes a different approach. It endeavours to shield students from studying subjects that are irrelevant to their chosen career paths. For example, an aspiring engineer may not need to study English literature like Romeo and Juliet; or Hamlet, while trigonometry and solving for x could pose unnecessary hurdles for someone aiming to become a journalist or lawyer. PECS represents a comprehensive educational curriculum system that reorients the entire process of learning and teaching. Until the government embraces such a curriculum, claims of curriculum transformation remain unsubstantiated, and true educational transformation in the country remains unrealized.
Arguments like these prompted the development of the Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS). Rooted in a humanistic approach and drawing from quality curriculum theory and competency-oriented education, PECS focuses on practical assessments to gauge students’ relevant skills, aptitudes, and values essential for navigating modern society effectively. PECS emerged as a response to dissatisfaction with the modernist curriculum system in South Africa, akin to the birth of postmodernism. It seeks to rescue learners from a curriculum that lacks progressive elements and fails to provide differentiated learning suitable for all students. Similar to the historical advent of progressivism, PECS acts as a disruptive and qualitative curriculum system aimed at resolving the confusion stemming from curriculum inconsistencies. PECS intends to restore the worth and respect of the education system by rendering it responsive to societal needs through a curriculum rooted in liberal education principles. A unique aspect of PECS is its emphasis on affording learners’ insights into the working world during their schooling years. This distinct feature underscores the relevance and inspiration that PECS offers to the educational community of South Africa and the broader African context. This perspective envisions an improved education system achieved through the implementation of such an approach.
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
Cite this publication: XABA, S.S. 2023. The South Africa education curriculum transformation bogus. https://simnandisolutions.co.za/post/
Bibliography
Mendy J. and Madiope, M. (2002) Curriculum transformation: A case in South Africa. Perspectives in Education 2020 38(2): 1-19. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344454985_Curriculum_transformation_A_case_in_Souh_Africa#:~:text=Curriculum%20transformation%2C%20referred%20to%20as,refers%20to%20the%0practices%20and. Date of Access: 6 September 2023
Armstrong, C.A. 1999. A CONSTRUCTIVIST CRITIQUE OF OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION.https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/03e6c0a0-0d92-4fda-8aa7-517dc07b870e/content. Date of Access: 6 September 2023
Mail & Gurdian (20212). Education system worse than under apartheid: Ramphele, Mail&guardian 23 MAR.https://mg.co.za/article/2012-03-23-education-system-worse-than-under-apartheid-ramphele/. Date of Access: 6 September 2023
Moore, N.L. 2015. The Bantu Education Act revisited. https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/53445/Moore_Class_2016.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Date of Access: 6 September 2023