Life Skills integration in Self Learning Materials of Social Science: A Quality Measure

Abstract

EFA Goals had suggested “Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes” as well as “Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills”. It is now widely accepted that ‘Life Skills’ is an important aspect of quality education. The relevance and significance of life skills education cannot be denied. // In the face to face formal system, learners have the opportunity to learn life skills from teachers. However, ODL learners are deprived of this, as they are not a part of face to face teaching-learning set up. NIOS, India came up with an innovation for enabling the learners of secondary level (class 10) to learn life skills by integrating them in the self learning material in all subjects. The author was a part of this Project (which was completed in 2012-13) in the capacity of author, editor and mentor in the subject of Social Science. Before all the study materials were revised and life skills incorporated, a project was undertaken by NIOS with UNFPA support, wherein a few model lessons were developed. This project was reported by NIOS in PCF6, which was held in Kochi, India.// In this paper, the focus will be on Social Science study materials. How life skills were incorporated in it will be demonstrated through examples. The participants will be encouraged to discuss the importance of life skills, life skills integration in self learning materials of NIOS, Examples of life skill integration in Social Science study materials, etc. The sub-theme is Equity and Inclusion and the strand is Quality. // Paper ID 203