We believe that when the education curriculum system is designed, the market is to be consulted and involved in the design processes of that curriculum. The market refers to the public and private sector companies, institutions and organizations that employ the public. If the market is actively and explicitly involved in the curriculum system design model, they will have power to determine the envisaged graduate coming into the work place. The market would be able to help dictate the curriculum content that corresponds with the expectations of the workplace. This paper aims to describe the education ministry’s responsibility under the proposed Personalized Education Curriculum System (PECS)

Education ministry, under Personalized Education Curriculum System, has to ensure that: The market; accounting firms and other financial institutions (banks etc), law firms, political parties, entertainment industry, health institutions, land and agricultural sector etc, in South Africa they should be in the curriculum development boardroom to ensure learners curriculum is qualitatively relevant with modern workplace practices and principles these institutions face everyday. This will help ensure meaningful teaching and learning process in schools, with learners and parents feeling confident that what is taught at school is daily workplace practices and principles. The involvement of the market in the curriculum development will help achieve teaching and learning relevancy.

The education ministry, under Personalized Education Curriculum System, will be self-mandated to partner up with the market for the Work Integrated Learning (WIL-Practicals) for all career paths as per our learners ‘ various choices. Practical learning has to be strictly part of the curriculum (theoretical learning in the classroom balanced with practical learning at the workplace). To ensure this theoretical-practical learning process, the education ministry should have  WIL programme. WIL programme means that the market  (employers- all businesses, private and public institution and organizations etc.) will have education programmes with appointed personel, where they regulate all the practical learning for the learners. The programme can be part of their Corporate Social Investments (CSI) and has to prioritize on education advancement. This programme can run during school holidays with proper time framing and constant communication between the ministry (schools) and the market.

Restaurants can accommodate learners from the School of Hospitality, catering and tourism, Media (local radio stations, newspaper, television stations) for learners from the School of Media studies and Journalism, Engineering firms for learners from the School of Engineering , Accounting firms for learners from the School of Commerce, Law firms for learners from the School of Law, Agricultural factories for learners from the School of Agriculture, etc. This is the role the market can play in ensuring that school produces relevant workforce. The market will benefit and thus the unemployment rate drastically alleviated. This is how Personalized Education Curriculum System seeks to display the influence the market has in the education fraternity, should they be deliberately involved.

We believe that the market is the pillar of education system and the government is the custodian supervising it. The above insight proves the major role the market has in our education. It further reveals how meaningful education can be , should the market be directly involved with education in our country (South Africa). For instance , an aspiring lawyer never sees the courtroom until employed or at the higher education level, Accounting students only work with practical transactions and account handling when employed etc. Education should be practical, not only theoretical-the balance is needed!

“Education is irrelevant if it answers a question nobody asked” Prof Frans Fuller