Parents of public school learners deserves the truth about what is taught at school. They need to be informed if school is really preparing their children for future or for tests and exams. Parents further need to know if a child is encouraged to be creative or to copy and paste the memorized information. But mostly, parents need to check if the school is accommodative of the children’s talents and unique abilities. Parents deserves the truth which might be a hard pill to swallow. This paper aims at revealing how the God-given talent and natural brilliance of a child is destroyed by curriculum and how the child is expected to survive the curriculum. The paper will explain this making references to two career paths that school curriculum has no explicit and clear plan about. The paper will conclude by providing a solution which the very truth the parents deserves to know and the alternative curriculum to the current one.

A child leaves home to school carrying a burning desire and ambitions in Hotel, Restaurant and Guesthouse Management or becoming a chef for an example. Ordinarily, the subjects relevant for this child amongst many are; Catering Theory and Practical, Applied Management, Nutrition and Menu Planning, Sanitation and Safety, Food and Beverage Service, Entrepreneurship and Business Management, Applied Management, Communication and Human Relations, Computer Practice, Food and Wine Pairing (College of Cape Town – Catering and Hospitality services). These subjects are the least a school curriculum can offer this kind of a learner. Unfortunately, the truth is…your child, at the public school, is not even doing at least one of all the listed subjects! The question rises thereafter, what is the child doing at school then? What will happen to the ambitions of this child then?

That is the truth about school. That is why your child is struggling and seem not interested in school. That is why your child sees no meaning in school. The school is not helping your child instead the school is asking your child to adopt what the curriculum offers the child, that’s what is happening at school and that’s the truth you deserve to know. The unbearable pain about this, is that a child at the same age is at the private school doing exactly the subjects mentioned above. This is a proof that private education is by far better than public education. This is another truth a south African parent deserves to know.

Another example worth mentioning is the child who leaves home already passionate about leadership, politics and State affairs. Normally, children such as these would picture themselves as the head of the State, Departmental minister, MEC, Parliamentarian or any government official. A learner such as this would excellently fit well with a school where they offer subjects such as Politics, History, International relations, Public governance, etc. Again, it is a sad truth to reveal to south African parents that there’s no public school that offers these subjects except for History! The burning desires and life aspirations of this child are destroyed and side-lined. You may again ask yourself a question as to what is this child doing at school then? The truth is – the child is disengaged and disinterested in school because the fire within him/her has been extinguished. That is the truth parents need to know, however they shouldn’t despair for there’s a solution to this – What is the solution?

Introduction of personalized schools operating under a new curriculum called personalized education curriculum system (PECS). In the case of the above, the PECS advocates for strictly the School of Catering & Hospitality that will fittingly provide a learner with relevant curriculum. And in the second instant, PECS provides the elite rare breed of a school in the name of School of leadership and politics. This is where learners interested in leadership and politics can be accommodated separately. In short, PECS is the solution and this is how we picture our schools for the beneficiation of our learners:

Please find what PECS is here (it is explained in details): https://simnandisolutions.co.za/personalized-education/ – Click on PECS Powerpoint presentation