Values in further education and training institutions : whose values, what values and how imparted?

Abstract

In this article the authors try to locate the place of values (as life-skills) in Further Education and Training institutions in South Africa. They emphasise the fact that education is a valuebased and value-driven activity and that it is impossible to exclude values from education. The problem is whether such a claim would also include institutions of Further Education and Training attended by mainly adults. Reviewing the critical cross-field outcomes formulated for education and training in this country, it could be argued that values are embedded in these outcomes. This then gives rise to the questions: • Whose values? • What values? • How should these be included? Based on doctoral research conducted at selected FET institutions by one of the authors, the article reports on the values identified by people involved in FET and, based on the findings of the research, suggests some guidelines for how values should be integrated in education.