Curriculum system is dynamic and demands astute balance. Personalized education curriculum system (PECS) advocates for learner centered approach to teaching and learning inspired by progressivism, pragmatism and social reconstruction. Despite the emphasis on a learner-centered approach in these educational fundamentals, another dimension, the perennialism approach, can be incorporated to ensure a harmonious equilibrium. Perennialism, while also supporting a society-based curriculum, leans toward a more teacher-centered approach. This paper aims to explore the significance of the perennialism approach within the curriculum system. The objective is to empower learners with a comprehensive understanding of societal realities and equip them to respond to existing challenges.This is because the core goal of perennialism education is to cultivate rational thinking and foster critical minds. A perennialist classroom aspires to be a meticulously organized and well-disciplined environment, fostering a lifelong pursuit of truth (Clark, 2019).
“In the realm of education, it is crucial to grasp that perennialism believes in the sufficiency of human intellect and will to comprehend ‘the great universe in its entirety.’ Education, according to perennialism, is the endeavor to shape an individual, endowing them with knowledge, judgment, and moral virtue” (Jent, 2012:14). This assertion enhances the significance of holistic human development through education from childhood to adulthood. It further indicates the imperative of education for individuals to become complete and contributing members of society.
The curriculum structure in the perennialism education is described by Jent(2012) as a subject matter that has two functions: to explain the world to the learner (the metaphysical function) and to train the intellect to understand the world (the psychological or, more generally, the epistemological function). This is exactly where the perennialism curriculum systems relates to social reconstruction because it advocates for the learners to be taught about the society and what it encompasses. This refers to the truths and other realities of the world as the society. It is clear that the reality about the world should not be hidden to the learners as these realities shape the very reason for the education of the learners. That is why the proposed PECS has constantly criticized the current CAPS Curriculum in South Africa that hides the reality of the society from the learners. Politics in South African schools is off the discussion table. Even in the subject of History, the realities of what transpired and what is transpiring is minimally discussed and there is no explicit delivery of the events of the past that helps and prepare learners to face the world for what it is. Another example of the hidden realities of the world within the CAPS is the career pathing that needs serious review if the intention is to explicitly reveal the realities of the world of work in South Africa and across the world.
In the subject Life Orientation career exhibition and things related to that are conducted, however the actual curriculum goes strictly against those principles because the subjects(curriculum) offered are far off the relatability of the careers it claims to prepare learners for. The explicit example here is law aspiring learners in high school. A law aspiring learners at school is not offered subjects such as Constitution, Legal Studies, Introduction to Law, Family Law etc. Instead they are told that doing History and English prepares you to do a Law degree at the university(DBE, 2021) – History and English are not explicit Law subjects and they are by no means, more relevant than the actual aforementioned Law subjects. These matters are a conclusive proof that the reality of the world and how it operates remains systematically hidden to the learners and this is against the principles of perennialism curriculum requirements that seek to ensure that learners are exposed to the truths of the society and its operations in order to produce a holistic independent thinking human being. These are toxicities of the CAPS Curriculum system that denies learners the opportunity to be exposed to the metaphysical functions of the society for their growth beneficiation.
Unfortunately when the world is not explained to the learners (metaphysical function) as explained above, the second function of the curriculum according to the perennialism will not be achieved. The second function within the perennialism curriculum structure is that the intellect of learners should be trained in order to understand the world. The two functions are interrelated and function in synergy. That is why if one collapses, the other collapses too. It is generally impossible to understand a concept without being exposed to it. The proof to this is the fact that upon the arrival in the higher institutions of learning, students realize that their interest is a particular career path than the one they had in High school. This is emanating from the limitations of exposure to the variety of possibilities that exists which again proves the reality that the South African schooling system is a dismal failure in many fronts. It is the same (2013) who argues that The first years of schooling would involve reading, writing, and computation—courses that are chiefly preparatory for achieving actuality. That actuality is at high risk in South Africa because the latest report on numeracy and literacy points out that Most children leave grade one without knowing the alphabet, while 82% of grade 4 children cannot read for meaning (Stent, 2023). And Dall(2023) reports that according to Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) 2019 , at primary school level, South Africa, in 2019, had the third lowest score out of the 64 countries.
All these problems are a results of a curriculum system (CAPS) that fails to encapsulates relevance from the perennialism view of education. It is then exactly for such reasons that 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.
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Cite this publication: XABA, S.S. 2023.Harmonizing pedagogical approaches: A discourse on PECS and the importance of perennialism in shaping holistic learners in South Africa. https://simnandisolutions.co.za/post/
Bibliography
Stent, J. 2023. Literacy crisis deepening in South Africa, says new report:Children are far behind in learning to read and it is getting worse. https://www.groundup.org.za/article/literacy-crisis-in-south-africa-says-new-report/. Date of Access: 10 November 2023
Jent. ,G.A. 2012. Perenialism or “give me that old religion” http://www.ttgst.ac.kr/upload/ttgst_resources13/20123-176.pdf.
Date of Access:9 Novemeber 2023
Dall,N.2023. Complex equation of maths in south africa.Journalist in Cape Town, South Africa . https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/complex-equation-maths-education-south-africa. Date of Access: 11 Novemeber 2023
Clark, K. 2019. 4 major educational philosophies. https://ctei.jhu.edu/files_ta/4_Major_Educational_Philosophies.pdf. Date of Access: 11 November 2023.