Life skills

Quality education

How does life skills-based education (LSBE) contribute to UNICEF's goal of quality education?

LSBE strengthens educational processes by insisting on participatory and gender-sensitive teaching and learning methods. Participatory methods allow all participants (including the facilitator) equal opportunities to listen to, and learn from, each other and can appeal to different learning styles. They include self-guided and experiential learning (learning by doing), and are based on the natural processes by which children acquire knowledge, attitudes, skills and ultimately behaviours.

Life skills-based education enhances the quality of content by addressing issues relevant to the lives of learners, both boys and girls. At present, LSBE is often applied to pertinent health and social issues which are not traditionally included in the academic curriculum and which demand the adoption of positive behaviours by young people (e.g., health, human rights, gender equality, peace). However, skills-based content and methods can also enhance the quality of traditional subjects like literacy and numeracy by making them relevant and engaging for the learners.

Where implemented with high quality, life-skills based education can result in quality learners achieving quality educational outcomes. LSBE can also contribute to a safe, inclusive child-friendly learning environment, for example, by counteracting the gender discrimination so often inherent in education systems (though a range of supportive strategies will be required to achieve this fully). 

Lessons Learned Using the Quality Framework in Education

Gathering a strong evidence base for programming is critical to improving the quality of programmes. The lessons learned have been derived from research and experience in both developing and more developed nations in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention education.