Skillsbased health education including life skills Making the

Skills-based health education including life skills Making the links Unicef, New York Also go to http: //www. unicef. org/programme/lifeskills/mainmenu. html

What is the link? Child Friendly Schools F. R. E. S. H. Health Promoting Schools Skills-based health education Life skills

Child Friendly Schools Quality learners: healthy, well-nourished, ready to learn, and supported by their family and community Quality content: curricula and materials for literacy, numeracy, knowledge, attitudes, and skills for life Quality teaching-learning processes: child-centred; (life) skills-based approaches, technology Quality learning environments: policies and practices, facilities (classrooms, water, sanitation), services (safety, physical and psycho-social health) Quality outcomes: knowledge, attitudes and skills; suitable assessment, at classroom and national levels And gender-sensitive throughout

Child-seeking and Child-centred • Inclusive of children • Effective for learning • Healthy and protective for children • Involved with children, families, and communities • Gender-sensitive

What is FRESH ? Focusing Resources on Effective School Health A partnership: UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, WORLD BANK

FRESH Core intervention activities • Effective health, hygiene and nutrition policies for schools • Sanitation and access to safe water facilities for all schools • Skills based health, hygiene & nutrition education • School based health & nutrition services Supporting activities • Effective partnerships between teachers and health workers • Effective community partnerships • Pupil participation

What is skills-based health education ? • part of good quality education • not just for health issues • not just for schools

Skills-based health education. . . - has behaviour change as part of programme objectives - has a balance of knowledge, attitudes and skills - uses participatory teaching and learning methods - is based on student needs - is gender sensitive throughout

Content Methods The content areas of methods skills-health education for teaching & learning

Content Methods What topic? What issue? Knowledge About what? Attitudes Towards what? Learning Outcomes Skills (life) For what?

Content knowledge attitudes (Life) Skills Communication skills Values analysis & clarification skills Decision making skills Coping & stress management skills

Methods for teaching & learning better - child-centred - interactive & participatory - group work & discussion - brainstorming - role play - educational games - debates - practising people skills

Who can facilitate? Just about anybody! - teachers - young people (peer educators) - community agencies - religious groups - others. . .

What settings can be used? Just about any setting! - school - community - street - vocational - religious - existing groups or clubs - others. . .

Expected outcomes Output depends on input BEHAVIOURAL OUTCOMES ANTECEDENTS: Effort required HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT GOALS % adolescents infected with HIV (15 -19; m: f) PROTECTIVE & RISK FACTORS % adolescents ever had sex (at ages 13, 15, 19) % adolescents with STIs % adolescents who know how to protect themselves % adolescents using intravenous drugs % adolescents addicted to intravenous drugs % adolescents able to resist unwanted sex School. . . Skills-based health ed plus. . . School, community plus. . . policies, health services, community partnerships. . . School, community, national plus. . . media campaigns, national policies, health & social services

Evaluation Session/classroom level - immediate KAS outcome Behaviour level - behavioural outcome Epidemiological level - health outcome

Barriers to the life skills approach - poorly understood - competing priorities - poor policy support - poor and uneven implementation

3 main ways to implement in schools Fast Track 1. “carrier” subject or unit of work Slow Track 2. separate subject (long term option) (short term option) 3. infusion/integration (not recommended)

Priority Actions Away from… Towards…. • small scale………………. national coverage • isolated education programs………………. . comprehensive - FRESH • integration………………. . Single carrier subject • creating new materials…. better use of what is • generic programs………. • HIV/AIDS & life skills as an add-on………………. . specific (health and social) outcomes dedicated staff, training & support over time