The Myth of "Future Skills": Why Preparing for Work May Be the Wrong Aim for Education 

Dr Nicolene du Preez

For over a century, education in South Africa has been entangled with labor markets. Schooling is seen as preparation for employment, curriculum as a mirror of economic trends, and the child as "future worker." In the 21st century, this entanglement has only deepened under the "future skills" agenda, which calls for cultivating creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, and digital literacy to meet the demands of the "workforce of the future."

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