Its nature

Life skills are both concrete and abstract-practical skills can be learned directly, as a subject. For example, a learner can take a course in laying bricks and learn that skill. Other life skills, such as self-confidence, self-esteem, and skills for relating to others or thinking critically cannot be taught in such direct ways. They should be part of any learning process, where teachers or instructors are concerned that learners should not just learn about subjects, but learn how to cope with life and make the most of their potential.

So these life skills may be learnt when learning other things. For example:

Learning literacy may have a big impact on self-esteem, on critical thinking or on communication skills;

Learning practical skills such as driving, healthcare or tailoring may increase self-confidence, teach problem- solving processes or help in understanding consequences.

Whether this is true depends on the way of teaching —what kinds of thinking, relationship-building and communication the teacher or facilitator models themselves and promotes among the learners.

Progress towards this goal

It would require measuring the individual and collective progress in making the most of learning and of life, or assessing how far human potential is being realized, or estimating how well people cope with change. It is easier to measure the development of practical skills, for instance by counting the number of students who register for vocabonal skills courses. However, this still may not tell us how effectively these skills are being used.

The psycho-social skills cannot easily be measured by tests and scores, but become visible in changed behavior. Progress in this area has often been noted by teachers on reports which they make to the parents of their pupils. The teachers experience of life, of teaching and of what can be expected from education in the broadest sense serve as a standard by which the growth and development of individuals can be assessed to some extent. This kind of assessment is individual and may never appear in international tables and charts.

Current challenges

The current challenges relate to these difficulties:

We need to recognize the importance of life skills-both practical and psycho-social-as part of education which leads to the full development of human potential and to the development of society;

The links between psycho-social skills and practical skills must be more clearly spelled out, so that educators can promote both together and find effective ways to do this;

Since life skills are taught as part of a wide range of subjects, teachers need to have training in how to put them across and how to monitor learners' growth in these areas;

In designing curricula and syllabuses for academic subjects, there must be a balance between content teaching and attention to the accompanying life skills;

A more conscious and deliberate effort to promote life skills will enable learners to become more active citizens in the life of society.

Policy options—what governments should do

Recognize and actively advocate for the transformational role of education in realizing human potential and in socio-economic development;

Ensure that curricula and syllabuses address life skills and give learners the opportunity to make real-life applications of knowledge, skills and attitudes;

Show how life skills of all kinds apply in the world of work, for example, negotiating and communication skills, as well practical skills;

Through initial and in-service teacher training, increase the use of active and participatory learning/teaching approaches;

Examine and adapt the processes and content of education so that there is a balance between academic input and life skills development; ,Make sure that education inspectors look not only for academic progress through teaching and learning, but also progress in the communication, modeling and application of life skills;

Advocate for the links between primary and (early) secondary education because learning life skills needs eight or nine years and recognize that the prospect of effective secondary education is an incentive to children, and their parents, to complete primary education successfully.

Policy options—what funding agencies should do

Support research, exchange and debate, nationally and regionally, on ways of strengthening life skills education;

Support innovative (創新的) teacher training in order to combine life skills promotion into subjects across the curriculum and as a fundamental part of what school and education are about;

Recognize the links between primary and secondary education in ensuring that children develop strong life skills;

Support, therefore, the early years of secondary education as part basic education.