Embracing education for life

Neha Pradhan Arora

The term ‘life skills’ has become quite the buzzword in education over the last decade or so. It has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.” UNICEF defines them as “psychosocial abilities for the same”. They are loosely grouped into three broad categories of skills: cognitive skills for analyzing and using information, personal skills for developing personal agency and managing oneself, and inter-personal skills for communicating and interacting effectively with others.

Following the study of many different life skills programmes, the WHO Department of Mental Health identified five basic areas of life skills that are relevant across cultures:
• decision-making and problem-solving;
• creative thinking and critical thinking;
• communication and interpersonal skills;
• self-awareness and empathy;
• coping with emotions and stress.

In a broad context the term is used by schools, organizations and resource people who design special curricula and programmes for developing these skills in children through workshops, camps and sessions. While I have also been guilty of the same, in the last year or so, I have been pondering over these elusive life skills that we are trying to equip our children with, for a future that is unimaginable for most of us. I decided to examine the skills I need and use in life. Do these match the terms used in the world today? How did I develop these skills? Can one create a blueprint of these skills and how they can be inculcated in children today?

Skill 1 – Ability to accept change and adapt
The pace at which the world is changing, staying stuck in what was or should have been, and not embracing what is and can be, is the biggest hurdle to happiness and efficiency. Whether it is changes at work, within a family, in technology or in the food we eat, in the money we use, change is literally the only constant around us.

Skill 2 – Prioritizing and planning
With the added pressures and tasks that men, women and children undertake, learning to choose what is most important and most appropriate is like walking a tight rope. We also need to anticipate situations and the consequences of our actions, make smarter choices and find solutions to problems, through the development of judgment and discretion.

Skill 3 – Management of resources
The two things that the world today never seems to have enough of are time and money. It is crucial to learn how to manage these in a manner that is optimal. Learning to live within one’s means, appreciating frugality in a world which is increasingly governed by consumerism and understanding how to sustain the self (emotionally) and the world we live in (ecologically); is essential to our survival.

Skill 4 – Believing in the self
Feeling secure and content in ‘who I am’ while the world is bombarding us with images and messages of what we should look like, what we should eat, what we should buy, what we should do is difficult but essential to having an acceptance of who we are or who we want to be. It helps us to remain rooted in a reality that is not whimsical and dependent on an apparently perfect world, as portrayed by the media.

Skill 5 – Introspection – or the ability to reflect and analyze one’s own actions, objectively
This skill helps to build a deep awareness of the self, which guides and influences one’s actions and decisions. It strengthens one’s connection with oneself which forms the foundation of a positive sense of self and meaningful relationships.

Skill 6 – Connecting with others through communication
In a world which is rapidly developing new methods and technology for communication, the ability to have an honest conversation is still a crucial skill. To express and communicate what one thinks, feels and desires, verbally, non-verbally and tactfully, is equally important in building and sustaining social interactions.

Skill 7 – Communication with assurance and certainty
To be able to speak confidently and assertively about even the most difficult things is often necessary in situations of clashing interests or conflict. While this requires communication skills, it also needs a certain restraint and maturity.

Skill 8 – Staying connected with people
Whether family, friends or professional associates, it is important to create and nurture our own learning and support circles. The absence of meaningful relationships leads to a deep sense of loneliness, which is an increasing problem.

Skill 9 – Discipline and routine
To help us do what we must, even when we don’t feel like it, requires discipline. Whether it is something as small as waking up at a particular time, or completing tasks on time or making time for a spiritual or fitness practice, a sense of discipline enhances productivity while helping us build a sense of balance in our lives.

Skill 10 – Self-reliance, through the use of skills and technology
This is becoming increasingly easy in today’s world and yet seems to be something we shy away from. Whether it is cooking a meal, washing one’s clothes, paying one’s bills, or booking tickets; it is essential to be able to do as much as one can, towards the fulfilment of one’s own needs.

Why are these essential life skills? Are they crucial for our survival? Probably not, but they are crucial to helping us live our life happily, efficiently, peacefully and in good health. They help us eliminate frustration, anxiety and worry and deal with uncertainty and eccentricity, with equanimity.

It is also important to look at the spiritual values which go hand-in-hand with these life skills. Qualities of calmness and faith can be developed using meditation. These in turn develop serene strength and intuitive wisdom which equip us to navigate through the uncertainties of life. Humility and empathy help us to nurture meaningful relationships. Sharper concentration enhances our productivity and efficiency.

Life experiences, the wisdom received from others and specially designed workshops or trainings help imbibe these values and life skills. However it must be realized that these workshops and training cannot exist in isolation. They must go hand-in-hand with what the child learns, does, or experiences every day, in school or at home.

Values and life skills must be integrated into the curriculum of every school as an approach that the teachers use in every subject through the designing of meaningful experiences and the use of purposeful vocabulary. Every teacher must ensure that his/her classroom is a non-threatening place that allows children to learn, practice and exhibit these values and skills through interactions and experiences. Some simple tools that may be used in every class, by every teacher, no matter what age or subject you teach, are given below –

1. Introduce pair-sharing in your lessons – ask children to discuss, find an answer or explain the concept to their partner.
2. Have structured group discussions where the children have a definite goal, a time limit and the freedom to express what they think.
3. Start/End the day by asking children how they feel – encourage conversation around feelings and emotions.
4. Practice reflection – after an activity, at the end of the day; individually or as a group.
5. Give and receive feedback through simple peer/student/teacher review tools.
6. Strengthen discipline by introducing time tools, lines and processes through visual and other reminders.
7. Encourage self-help in eating, working, cleaning and travelling.
8. Give instructions and prepare children for even the most complicated situations – this will help to ease anxiety and improve their ability to adapt to situations.
9. Ensure that self care and home care skills are taught as part of the school curriculum to both boys and girls.
10. Make health and fitness a practical part of the children’s learning – not just as theory in books but as practices that must be adopted.

Similarly, at home, values and life skills must resonate with the words and actions that parents use in their daily functioning and interactions with children. Some simple practices that may be used are –

1. A routine with fixed timings for food, sleep, study and play must be followed during most days in the year, by the whole family.
2. Family conversations and chats must include everyone sharing their daily experiences and interactions.
3. Family days and holidays must include some activities done together other than shopping in malls – reading, playing games, visits to family or friends’ homes, gardening, seeing the sights of your city, do-it-yourself projects, walking or cycling trails.
4. Children should be included in decisions that concern them – whether it is about what they will wear, eat or do. Logical and rational discussions will help them learn how to choose smartly.
5. Teach self-reliance to the extent possible, depending on the age of your children. Eating on their own, dressing themselves, clearing up, assisting in chores at home will all help to create a sense of independence.
6. Role modeling the skills and behaviour we want our children to learn is the best way to help them learn the life skills.
7. Sharing emotions in difficult situations (failure, loss, unfulfilled expectations, divorce, illness) is important to help children become aware of what they feel and cope with it. Develop spaces and tools for them to express.
8. While it is important to help build a positive image by helping each child believe in themselves, introspection and feedback must be developed as habits through honest and nonthreatening conversations.
9. Resist from doing too much, giving too much or demanding too much from your children.
10. Try to build and nurture a lifestyle that is sustainable – financially, environmentally and emotionally. Children will learn to do the same.

The above simple tips will help to integrate values and life skills into the lives of children in a natural way. These could be practiced both in school and at home to ensure that our children are better equipped for the future that is unfolding before them.

An education that integrates spiritual values and skills into practice, play and learning is the necessity of our times. As educators, we must discuss, debate, and deliberate to create, contextualize and communicate a curriculum that addresses this need. Fortunately or unfortunately, these values and skills are effectively ‘taught’ only by example. So, as educators, let us first turn the searchlight of introspection inward, to become conscious of how we could imbibe and then inculcate these spiritual values and life-skills among our children. Let us ensure that it is not just ‘life skills education’ that forms a part of school curricula today but ‘education for life’ that every educator and every child embraces.

The author continues to explore the purpose of education and learning through her work in schools and communities. She believes it is only through the creation of empathic, empowered and joyful learning communities that this purpose can be achieved. She currently lives in Bengaluru and can be reached at neha7779@gmail.com.