Life Skills Education in Schools

One of Children's Program Aangan's key activities is working with school systems on life skills education to help build an environment that focuses on and values the emotional development of children. Children's Program Aangan has worked with community-based schools and educational institutes of different socio-economic backgrounds around Islamabad/Rawalpindi on life skills. One such initiatives was taken up in September 2003 when the Ministry of Education officially contracted Aangan to replicate its work in five government schools. A report has been developed on the project called "The Roshan School Project Report". This report describes the 18-month project, which aimed to sensitize and enable five schools to run an emotional health curriculum for over 700 children as part of the formal school system. The unique feature of this project was that it involved teachers as primary project implementers through a step-by-step process of training and capacity building.

What Are Life Skills?

Life Skills are psychosocial and interpersonal skills that help people make informed decisions, communicate effectively and develop coping and self-management skills that may help them lead healthy and productive lives.

Main topics covered in Life Skills workshops and curriculum:

• Feelings
• Anger management/Conflict Resolution
• Sadness
• Self-esteem/Self-acceptance
• Gender
• Tolerance
• Body Protection
• Communication Skills

More About Life Skills

Tools:

Rozan has developed two similar, yet distinct, tools which it offers to various schools. Rozan trains and builds capacity of teachers and other professionals to run these activities with children. Life Skills Workshops for Primary Level Education (Children 6-11yrs old). This is a series of 9 weekly interactive sessions. Life Skills Curriculum for Secondary Level Education (Children 13-18yrs old). This is a series of 11 weekly session curriculum. Each session is accompanied by a written lesson.

Methodology:

Participatory and experiential methodology is used in all life skills sessions. These include

• Go-rounds of personal sharing
• Brainstorming
• Use of puppets
• Interactive stories
• Role-plays
• Learning of messages through poems, drawings and coloring
• Small group work

Process of Initiating Life Skills Education In A School System:

Step1: Training of Teachers

• 2-Day Self-Awareness workshop provides them with the opportunity to look into and reflect upon their own lives and experiences in order to develop a deeper understanding of the issues they will be working on with children.
• 6-Day Capacity Building Training covers the emotional health issues of children as well as how to conduct the life skills module with children.

Step 2: Backup Support and Supervision:

• Rozan provides support to teachers and schools during the implementation of life skills. This ranges from planning and debriefing sessions and shadowing the sessions with teachers. Aangan also provides counseling and referral services to the schools if required.

Step 3: Refresher Training

• 4-6 months into implementation Rozan provides a 2-day refresher training to teachers addressing concerns and problems encountered during the implementation of the life skills workshops and curriculum.