Meaning,Types & History of Life Skills

Our education system, as is prevalent today, is rather lopsided. It lays optimum focus on the acquisition of knowledge even at eh expense of skills, attitudes and values. Living as we do a sophisticated life style in a sophisticated society, what we require is nothing short of a sophisticated mode of education. Knowledge in itself has little value unless it is put to use. We need today, among other things, life skills in a big way rather than were memorization of information. Life skills are skills, strengths and capabilities that help individuals face problems of their everyday life with a positive attitude and go about with their everyday tasks effectively. Life skills education would place us on the highway to growth and development, in the process, enabling us to lead our lives as effectively and efficiently as possible.The word Life Skills has come to be popularly used in the context of emerging health issues for young people in different parts of the world.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Life-Skills education refers to “a behaviour change or behaviour development approach designed to address balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude and skills”.The UNICEF definition is based on research evidence that suggests that shifts in risk behaviour are unlikely if knowledge, attitudinal and skill based competencies are not addressed.

The World Health Organization (WHO), having understood the inestimable role life skills play  in our lives, has already felt the need for inculcationg life skills in the minds of students the world over so as to equip these citizens of the future with the skills necessary. It has short-listed ten of the most fundamental life skills for this purpose. They are: 1) Self-Awareness (2) Empathy (3) Decision Making (4) Problem Solving 5) Effective Communication (6) Interpersonal relations (7) Creative Thinking (8) Critical Thinking 9) Coping with Emotions and (10) Coping with Stress.

History of Life Skills

     Life-Skills Based Education (LSBE) has a long history of supporting child development and health promotion. In 1986, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion recognized Life-Skills in terms of making better health choices. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) linked Life Skills to education by stating that education should be directed towards the development of the child's fullest potential. The 1990 Jomtien Declaration on 'Education for All' took this vision further and included Life-Skills among essential learning tools for survival, capacity development and quality of life.The 2000 Dakar World Education Conference took a position that all young people and adults have the human right to benefit from "an education that includes learning to know, to do, to live together and to be", and included Life-Skills

   Life-Skills Based Education is now recognized as a methodology to address a variety of  issues of child and youth development and thematic responses including as expressed in UNGASS on HIV/AIDS (2001), UNGASS on Children (2002), World Youth Report (2003), World Program of Human Rights Education (2004), UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (2005), UN Secretary General's Study on Violence Against Children (2006), 51 Commission on the Status of Women (2007), and the World Development Report (2007).

    A positive attitude is essential to cope with the rapid changes which happen in the life of a young adolescent in the areas of body, mind and soul. Different values need to be experienced at different levels and internalized through development of appropriate expression. Social skills are needed to use values throughout the day. Young people need to think about them, reflect on them and carry them into their personal and social lives. They need to be able to see the effect of their behaviour and choices and develop into socially conscious citizens. One can develop Knowledge, Attitudes, Value Enhanced Life- Skills (KAVELS), accurately, objectively and scientifically.

Life skills refer to a multiplicity of psycho-social and interpersonal competencies. Competencies, as Goleman (1998) notes, are coordinated bundles of habits. Life skills can help people make informed decisions, communicate effectively, develop coping and management skills that can help them lead a healthy and productive life. Some of the life skills are seIf-directed, while others are directed towards others, or both self-directed and others directed. In other words, life skills are skills that equip people to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Life skills are viewed as crucial for everyone to cope with a rapidly changing world. They are skills that can lead us to success and accomplishments both in our professional as well as rate life. Drastic changes taking place around us have made learning life skills essential.