LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

1 WHO//MNH/ onlyDistr.: GeneralPROGRAMME ON mental HEALTHLIFE SKILLSEDUCATION WORDIVISION OF mental HEALTH ANDPREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSEWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION2806623131 WHO/MNH/ onlyDistr. GeneralLIFE SKILLS EDUCATIONFOR children AND ADOLESCENTSIN SCHOOLSI ntroduction and Guidelines to Facilitate the Developmentand Implementation of life SKILLS ProgrammesThis document was compiled in 1993 to assist with the further development of life skillseducation. It has been in great demand since that time, and since it is now being reprinted, theopportunity has been taken to make a few small changes. It should be emphasized however, that thedocument has not been changed In any substantial way. Its purpose Is to outline a framework for lifeskills programme development, both conceptually and practically.

2 The materials focus on the teachingof life SKILLS to children and adolescents in SCHOOLS . This document is therefore targeted at those agenciesInvolved In school curriculum development, health EDUCATION , and the development of school-basedhealth and social interventions. life SKILLS EDUCATION is relevant to everyone and the contents of thisdocument, although directed at SCHOOLS , can be adapted and interpreted to guide the developmentof life SKILLS EDUCATION for children that are not in SCHOOLS , as well as for adult EDUCATION and as part ofcommunity development two parts contained in this document (Part 1, Introduction to life SKILLS for PsychosocialCompetence and Part 2, Guidelines: The Development and Implementation of life SKILLS Programmes)may be used in conjunction with another document (WHO/MNH/ 1) Training Workshops forthe Development and Implementation of life SKILLS EDUCATION by those who are involved In the settingup of programmes.

3 It should be emphasized that the material in these training workshops Is not relatedto classroom activities and is not intended to help individual teachers who may wish to introduce life skillseducation into their own teaching programmes; it is primarily to assist the training of those people whowill be involved In the development and Implementation of life SKILLS programmes at national orsubnational document is being circulated as part of the life SKILLS project of the Programme on MentalHealth, WHO, Geneva. The Newsletter ' SKILLS for life ' is also available. This describes life SKILLS initiativesaround the world, as well as the work of WHO and other UN agencies in the support and promotion oflife SKILLS EDUCATION . For more information contact The life SKILLS EDUCATION Project, The Programme onMental Health, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, ON mental HEALTHWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONGENEVA1997 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe following people contributed to the development of this Birrell Weisen, WHO, GenevaJohn Orley, WHO, GenevaVivienne Evans, TACADE, UKJeff Lee, TACADE, UKBen Sprunger, life SKILLS International, USAD aniel Pellaux, Mandat Plus Prevention, SwitzerlandThe following people are acknowledged for their support and Ferguson, WHO, GenevaJack T.

4 Jones, WHO, Adetula, National Drug Law EnforcementAgency, Lagos, NigeriaLeonardo Mantilla Castellanos, Ministry ofHealth, Santafe de Bogota, ColombiaElena Nightingale, Carnegie Corporation of NewYork, USAJ ulian Oliver, UK Drug Demand ReductionTask Force, London, UKRuby Takanashi, Carnegie Corporation of NewYork, USAUNICEFUte Deseniss-Gros, Programme Communication/Social Mobilization Section, New YorkBruce Dick, Youth Health Promotion, New YorkRegina Faul-Doyle, Health Cluster, New YorkAnthony Hewett, Programme Communication/Social Mobilization Section, New YorkLakshman Wickramasinghe, CommunicationOfficer, UgandaMohammed Jalloh, Communication Officer,Sierra LeoneFinancial support for the development of these materials has been provided to WHO bythe Johann Jacobs Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland and the CarnegieCorporation of New York, USA.

5 The Trainer's Guide and Workshops, available asa separate document were prepared by TACADE, UK with a grant from the UK DrugDemand Reduction Task copies of this document may be obtained fromProgramme on mental HealthWorld Health Organization1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland World Health Organization 1994 This document is not a formal publication of the World Health Organization (WHO),and all rights are reserved by the Organization. The document may, however, be freely reviewed,abstracted, reproduced or translated, in part or in whole, but not for sale or for use in conjunction withcommercial views expressed in documents by named authors are solely the responsibility of those 1 Introduction to life SKILLS for Psychosocial Competence 1 Part 2 Guidelines.

6 The Development and Implementation of life SkillsProgrammes 9 Developing a life SKILLS support infrastructure 9 Formulating objectives and a strategy for life SKILLS programme development 13 Designing life SKILLS programme materials 19 Training of life SKILLS trainers 25 Pilot testing/evaluating a life SKILLS programme and training 29 Implementing a life SKILLS programme 33 Maintenance of a life SKILLS programme 35 Appendix: Sample life SKILLS Lessons and life SKILLS Programme LessonTitles and Sequence 37 Sample life SKILLS Lessons 39 life SKILLS Programme Lesson Titles and Sequence 47 WHO/MNH/ 1 PART ONEINTRODUCTION TO life SKILLS FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL COMPETENCEP romoting Psychosocial CompetencePsychosocial competence is a person's ability to deal effectively with the demands andchallenges of everyday life .

7 It is a person's ability to maintain a state of mental well-beingand to demonstrate this in adaptive and positive behaviour while interacting with others,his/her culture and competence has an important role to play in the promotion of health inits broadest sense; in terms of physical, mental and social well-being. In particular, wherehealth problems are related to behaviour, and where the behaviour is related to an inabilityto deal effectively with stresses and pressures in life , the enhancement of psychosocialcompetence could make an important contribution. This is especially important for healthpromotion at a time when behaviour is more and more implicated as the source of most direct interventions for the promotion of psychosocial competence are thosewhich enhance the person's coping resources, and personal and social competencies.

8 Inschool-based programmes for children and adolescents, this can be done by the teaching oflife SKILLS in a supportive learning life SkillsLife SKILLS are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour, that enable individuals todeal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday in this way, SKILLS that can be said to be life SKILLS are innumerable, and thenature and definition of life SKILLS are likely to differ across cultures and settings. However,analysis of the life SKILLS field suggests that there is a core set of SKILLS that are at the heartof SKILLS -based initiatives for the promotion of the health and well-being of children andadolescents.

9 These are listed below: Decision making Problem solving Creative thinking Critical thinking Effective communication Interpersonal relationship SKILLS Self-awareness Empathy Coping with emotions Coping with stressWHO/MNH/ 2 Decision making helps us to deal constructively with decisions about our lives. Thiscan have consequences for health if young people actively make decisions about their actionsin relation to health by assessing the different options, and what effects different decisionsmay , problem solving enables us to deal constructively with problems in ourlives. Significant problems that are left unresolved can cause mental stress and give rise toaccompanying physical thinking contributes to both decision making and problem solving byenabling us to explore the available alternatives and various consequences of our actions ornon-action.

10 It helps us to look beyond our direct experience, and even if no problem isidentified, or no decision is to be made, creative thinking can help us to respond adaptivelyand with flexibility to the situations of our daily thinking is an ability to analyse information and experiences in an objectivemanner. Critical thinking can contribute to health by helping us to recognise and assess thefactors that influence attitudes and behaviour, such as values, peer pressure, and the communication means that we are able to express ourselves, both verballyand non-verbally, in ways that are appropriate to our cultures and situations. This meansbeing able to express opinions and desires, but also needs and fears.