9.

7 VALUE BASED EDUCATION

LEARNING OUTCOME
• Examine the roles of values in society
• Examine the concept of VBE in learning
• Determine the principles of VBE in relation to the whole school approach (WSA)
• Demonstrate the application of VBE in real life.
• Outline and interpreted the core values identified in the Basic Education Curriculum Framework
(BECF) Values
Values are defined as standards that guide an individual on how to respond or behave in a given circumstance.
Our values influence how we feel, act and make choices in life.
Internationally, there has been a rise in the challenges and issues related with cultural integration, as well as
ethnic and religious diversity.
Social values form an important part of the culture of the society.
Values account for the stability of social order. They provide the general guidelines for social conduct. Values
include: fundamental rights, patriotism, respect for human dignity, rationality, sacrifice, individuality, equality,
democracy etc. guide our beh avior in many ways.

Value Education
Means teaching and learning of ideals. The aim is for students to understand moral values and show their good
behaviour and attitude towards society.
N/B The teaching of values will facilitate the achievement of the curriculum reforms' vision, particularly with
respect to developing ethical citizens.
According to the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 The values stated in the Constitution include responsibility,
respect, excellence, care and compassion, understanding and tolerance, honesty and trustworthiness, trust, and
being ethical.
Functions of Values:
1. Values provide goals or ends for the members to aim for.
2. Values provide for stabilities and uniformities in group interaction. They hold the society together because
they are shared in common. Some sociologists argue that shared values form the basis for social unity. They
will therefore, have a sense of belonging to a social group. They will feel a part of the wider society.
3. Values bring legitimacy to the rules that govern specific activities. The rule are accepted as rules and
followed mainly because they embody the values that most people accept.
4. Values help to bring about some kind of adjustment between different sets of rules. The people seek the
same kinds of ends or goals in different field of their life. Hence, it is possible for them to modify the rules to
help the pursuit of this end.

What is Values-based Education?

Value based education (VBE) is an outcome anchored on culture, religion, morals, values and character
formation for holistic development.
Values and attitudes are components for cognitive knowledge and are useful in attaining and
maintaining peace across cultures.
Values-based Education is an approach to teaching that works with values. It creates a strong learning
environment that enhances academic achievement and develops students' social and relationship skills that last
throughout their lives.
The positive learning environment is achieved through the positive values modelled by staff throughout the
school.
Value Based Education (VBE) Include;
• Love
• Responsibility
• Respect
• Unity
• Peace
• Patriotism
• Social
• Justice
• Integrity

IMPORTANCE OF VALUE BASED EDUCATION

There is an inherent need and importance of value education in the present world:
• It helps in taking the right decisions in difficult situations thus improving decision-making abilities.
• It inculcates students with essential values like kindness, compassion and empathy.
• It awakens curiosity in children developing their values and interests. This further helps in skill
development in students.
• It also fosters a sense of brotherhood and patriotism thus helping students become more open-minded
and welcoming towards all cultures as well as religions.
• It provides a positive direction to a student’s life as they are taught about the right values and ethics.
• It helps students find their true purpose towards serving society and doing their best to become a better
version of themselves.
• With age comes a wide range of responsibilities. This can at times develop a sense of meaninglessness
and can lead to a rise in mental health disorders, mid-career crisis and growing discontent with one’s life.
Value education aims to somewhat fill the void in people’s lives.
• Helps people to be more convinced and committed to their goals and passions. This leads to the
development of awareness which results in thoughtful and fulfilling decisions.
It instils a sense of ‘meaning’ behind what one is supposed to do and thus aids in personality
development PRINCIPLES OF VALUE BASED EDUCATION
Adoption of a whole school approach where the teaching and learning of positive values is seamless and
reflected in the ethos of the school. Integration of four core values ---Respect, Tolerance, Equality and Peace---
into the curriculum at all levels of education, including early learning and teacher training.
1. Integration of four core values ---Respect, Tolerance, Equality and Peace---into the curriculum at all
levels of education, including early learning and teacher training.
2. Elimination of the culture of “mean score” and “certification” by:
o Equitable re-distribution of resources to bridge gaps between the few elite schools and vast majority of
public schools.
o Comprehensive examinations reform that at a minimum scraps KCPE, replacing it with a system of
assessment that moves away from the narrow focus on regurgitating facts to recognition of the learning needs
of the whole child, and is age-appropriate, respects child rights and is values-friendly.
3. Enforcement of policies and laws incorporating the four core values and reviewing school rules and
regulations to align with the values and principles stipulated in the Kenyan Constitution.
4. Intensification of parental education and community sensitization through partnership with civil society
and faith-based organizations on Value-based Education and with an emphasis on the core values.
A whole school approach.
Is cohesive and collaborative action by a school community that is being strategically and continually
constructed to improve student learning, behavior and wellbeing?

CORE VALUES IN BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK (BECF)

Based on the Needs Assessment Study carried out by KICD, and the vision and mission of the BECF, the seven
core competencies to be achieved by every learner in basic education are:
1. Communication and Collaboration
2. Self-efficacy
3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
4. Creativity and Imagination
5. Citizenship
6. Digital Literacy
7. Learning to Learn
The Framework seeks to develop these competencies so that all Kenyans can thrive in the 21st century.
Communication and Collaboration
Communication is the act of transferring information from one place to another, whether vocally, visually, or
non-verbally. The discipline of communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings
within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. The discipline promotes the effective and
ethical practice of human communication.
Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations working together to realize shared goals.
Collaboration may require leadership, although this can be social within decentralized or teams that work
collaboratively in relation to gaining greater resources.
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a person‟s belief about his or her capabilities to perform tasks or assignments that can change
and transform his or her life. It determines how the person feels, thinks, behaves and motivates themselves.
Self- efficacy has the potential to determine four major processes namely cognitive, motivational, affective and
selection processes.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
An important outcome of quality education is teaching learners how to think critically. The British Council
(2015) identifies three types of thinking: reasoning, making judgements, and problem solving. It is possible for
learners to reason in an uncritical way
Creativity and Imagination
Creativity and imagination refers to the ability to form new images and sensations in the mind, and to turn
them into reality.
It is the ability to imagine things that are not real, to form pictures in the mind of things that one has not seen
or experienced, and turn those pictures into real things.
Learning to Learn
Learning is a continuous process that begins at birth and continues until death; it is the process through which
we use our experience to deal with new situations and to develop relationships.
Digital Literacy can be described as having the knowledge, skills and behaviours which are necessary to
effectively and safely use a wide range of digital content and devices. Such devices include mobile phones,
smart phones, tablets, laptops and desktops among others. .
Citizenship
Is the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen. It creates a sense of belonging
and attachment to one‟s nation. A sense of citizenship helps to equip young people to deal with situations of
conflict and controversy knowledgeably and tolerantly.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF MORAL VALUES IN THE LEARNING
PROCESS? WHAT ARE MORAL VALUES?
Moral values are the key components of a person’s character. They are personality traits guiding people to
make decisions and judgements according to their own sense of what is
right and wrong, based on collective and individual experiences.
Moral values are essential in whatever stage of life we are in, the values that most adults have are the ones that
were instilled in us during our childhood. They form the fundamentals in any student’s life.
It is said that students are the future nation, and this future of our country depends greatly upon the values
imparted to them during their student life. Moral values pave the path for all their decisions in life, as without
these values, children do not have any guidance and their life may seem directionless. In order to be accepted
and respected by society, parents and caregivers should make sure of imbibing these strong moral values in
children as a lifestyle itself.
N/B We believe that moral values such as kindness, courage, humility, honesty, truthfulness, integrity, respect,
hard-work, tolerance, compassion, empathy, and inclusivity are extremely important to be instilled from an
early age, to build a child’s character, as it forms the very core of their being and becomes the foundation of
their moral beliefs throughout their lives..
Therefore, we will look at the importance of moral values, which are the basic values that reflect integrity and
humanity in a student’s life, in this blog.
IMPORTANCE OF MORAL VALUES IN A LEARNING PROCESS
A student’s life is full of challenges, changes, growth, and evolution. A growing child imbibes a lot of lessons
throughout their student years, most of which stick with them for the
rest of their lives. Students with high ethical values become accountable, responsible, and honest people, while
those without moral values to abide by becoming a threat to themselves and society.
Importance to teaching moral values to students from a young age
1. It Helps In Strong Character Building:
Being aware of values from an early age helps in developing the child’s character and forming the very core of
their being. A strong character development happens because of the virtues and values that children learn
during their childhood, which remains as a sound foundation for their moral beliefs in the future.
2. It Helps In Distinguishing Right From Wrong:
Moral values serve as a guide in differentiating between right and wrong, right from the beginning. While we
see almost every day that students at times can contribute to undesirable behaviour like bullying or cheating in
exams etc
3. Boost Self-Confidence And Positivity:
When children do something good, they tend to feel good about themselves, which further motivates them,
while also giving them an ample amount of self-confidence.
This self-affirmation of being able to give back or help others, in turn, helps in boosting their self-confidence
along with helping them develop positive feelings and positive relationships in their lives.
4. Shapes Attitudes, Beliefs And Determines Their Adult Behaviour:
Today’s students are the ones that will become tomorrow’s doctors, business people, engineers, scientists,
politicians, police, etc., and hold the most important positions that will either uplift or let down societies,
communities, countries, and the world at large.
Moral values should be properly implemented right from a young age because the virtues you teach your
children today will determine how they behave as adults.
5. Negative Peer Influence:
This peer pressure plays a significant role in most of their decisions, from something as
simple as the choice of clothing to the way of life.
Good moral values act as a moral compass that helps children stay off the negative influences
from their peers, social media, or, in general, as they grow into their teenage years or even
adulthood. According tosome health sites, children that feel good about themselves will
resist negative peer pressure better.
6. Serves As A Support In Tough Situations:
Moral values give children perspective, make them strong, and transpire firm beliefs in them,
which makes them work hard and have courage when they are facing challenges in life..
7. Helps Them In Their Relationships With Others:
While children are taught responsibility from a young age, they figure out their role and
purpose in society. It is with the understanding that the world does not revolve around them
and that they have a duty to follow towards their fellow human beings that will teach them to
put the emotions and needs of others before themselves and see others’ perspectives.
Teaching values such as sharing, compassion, cooperation, acceptance, equality, generosity,
and justice are extremely important for children to make everyday decisions in an
unprejudiced and empathetic manner. From something as simple as showing courage to
complain about a bully at school to showing perseverance in achieving goals at work will all
help the entire society.
N/B Moral values are the building blocks of personality that help in building the better
character of people.
It is absolutely important to teach moral values in students because it is then that they take
their first steps towards life, and it matters that they do it right.
These moral values shape their attitudes, beliefs, and ideas and help them develop into
undeterred and morally strong individuals.