Life skills
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© UNICEF/EAP02039/YR |
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Life skills education on HIV infection for street children in Thailand |
The Issues
These days, learning how to read, write and do maths is not enough to prepare children for the adult world. Sex, alcohol, drugs, HIV and AIDS, unemployment, conflict, discrimination, human trafficking and sexual exploitation – these are just some of the issues young people in our region encounter in their everyday lives. However, certain realities in our region constrain children’s ability to cope with these challenges:
- Many schools still adhere to traditional curricula and didactic teaching methods. Participation is not actively encouraged in these schools, and as a result, children and young people are not developing the skills and confidence they need to navigate the outside world.
- With AIDS epidemics in our region poised to expand, HIV-prevention approaches that deal pragmatically with sex are needed. Life skills can be used to raise awareness about HIV infection and can also be used to teach children and young people about other health issues such as hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, and alcohol and drug use. They can promote human rights awareness and conflict resolution.
UNICEF in Action
A life skills-based education teaches all children and young people practical skills in communicating, negotiating, decision making, critical thinking and problem solving and applies them to real-life situations. Across the region, UNICEF has helped countries introduce life skills-based education, focusing on HIV and AIDS, water and sanitation, and health and nutrition. We have done this by:
- Assisting governments in integrating life skills into standard education curricula by providing training, resources and materials; and
- Launching life skills-based education initiatives, such as the Pacific Stars Life Skills Training Programme and the School-Based Healthy Living and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education (SHAPE) in Myanmar.
