Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The challenges facing young people today have changed significantly from those
affecting previous generations; some simply did not exist before, and others have
intensified or become more complex — for example, HIV/AIDS and other sexually
transmitted diseases, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, war and political
instability, also unemployment, sexual and other forms of exploitation, and
discrimination in its many forms.
The causes of these problems are complex and multifaceted, and so they are
unlikely to be solved quickly or simply. As part of a comprehensive, multi-
strategy approach, a life skills approach may help to contribute to a reduction in
the harm associated with these issues, and to maintaining and promoting healthy
lifestyles.
An assumption is made here that some behaviours need to change because they
are associated with significant risks related to the challenges mentioned above. As
such, the goal of the life skills approach is to make an impact on these risk
behaviours. Education systems have not typically focused on behaviour change in
this way, and very often aspire to changes in knowledge alone. A history of
content or knowledge focus in education systems presents a significant challenge
to advocating for, and implementing life skills approaches. In this context the
higher goal is behaviour change, and so the life skills approach is distinct in not
presenting all the information that there is to know about a topic, but rather,
presents only that information considered necessary to influencing attitudes and
achieving the higher goal of reducing risk behaviours and promoting positive
behaviour. A direct consequence of achieving this overall goal is the achievement
of positive outcomes in terms of knowledge, attitudes and values and intermediate
skills.
Two interviews were conducted for the Teachers Talking Forum by Dr. Phan Thi Le
Mai with teachers using the approach. Mrs. Trinh Thuy Nga shares her experiences
at the Cao Xanh Primary school. Mrs. Mai Bich Nga of the Hong Hai lower
secondary school offers her perspective. Both schools are located in suburban Ha
long city, Quang Ninh province.
http://www.unicef.org/teachers/
Last revised September, 2001
Copyright © UNICEF