LSBE Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Life Skills Based-Education?
Life skills have been defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life”. They represent the psycho-social skills that determine valued behaviour and include reflective skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, to personal skills such as self-awareness, and to interpersonal skills. Practicing life skills empowers that leads to qualities such as self-esteem, sociability and tolerance, to take action and generate change, and to have capabilities to have the freedom and to decide what to do and who to be and better understanding of our context. LSBE is culturally sensitive programme and its curriculum has been vetted by the religious leaders, academics and government.

Q. Who can learn and be beneficiary of the LSBE program / curriculum?
The program is designed to assist school going adolescent boys and girls aged 12 to 18 years. LSBE curriculum is a four year program; first year consist of establishing a solid skill base for each student. The next three years will be based on age-appropriate information and will focus on 2-3 important issues/topics that adolescents are experiencing at every age level.

Q. What are the focus areas of the LSBE programme?
There are many such skills but UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO list ten core skills as:

• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Effective communication skills
• Decision-making
• Creative thinking
• Interpersonal relationship skills
• Self-awareness
• Self-esteem
• Self-confidence

Life skills can further be sub divided; which include:

• Self evaluation
• Self-acceptance   
• Positive self-talk
• Refusal skills
• Expressing and managing emotions
• Coping with stress
• Assertiveness
• Planning Skills
• Body awareness
• Personal Hygiene
• Reproductive self-care
• Family and Social responsibility

• Gender awareness and equity  

• Rights and responsibilities

With Life Skills, one is able to explore alternatives, weigh pros and cons and make rational decision in solving each problem or issue as it arises.

Q. What is different about LSBE from other educational methodology?
The life skills approach is an interactive, educational methodology that not only focuses on transmitting knowledge but also aims at shaping attitudes and developing interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. The main goal of the life skills approach is to enhance young people’s ability to take responsibility for making healthier choices, resisting negative pressures, and avoiding risk behaviors. Teaching methods are youth-centered, gender-sensitive, interactive and participatory. The most common teaching methods include working in groups, brainstorming, role-playing, story telling, debating, and participating in discussions and audiovisual activities.
In order to learn life skills, educational activities must be directed towards making positive changes in the following three areas:

• Knowledge – this refers to providing information relevant to a particular topic, thereby promoting greater understanding of that topic. To impart this knowledge, teachers may combine instruction on facts with an explanation of how these facts relate to one another. For example, a teacher and/or peer leader might describe how HIV infection is transmitted and then explain how certain behaviors increase the risk of HIV – e.g. intravenous drug use, risky sexual behaviours, and unsafe blood transfusion

• Attitudes – are personal beliefs and values towards a particular topic or issue, that influence a person to act or respond in a particular way. Attitudes are shaped by our values and those of our family, society and culture. Attitudes lead people to like or dislike something, or to consider things as good or bad, important or unimportant thus the formation of different personalities. For example, one’s attitude toward drug use will influence their behavior in regard to experimenting with drugs. Attitudes also greatly influence our motivation to change or learn new behaviors and skills.

• Skills – are abilities that enable people to carry out specific behaviors. Skills refer to practical techniques and competencies in regard to the person themselves (e.g. decision-making); in relation to others (e.g. communication skills); and in dealing with environmental pressures (e.g. refusal skills)

Q. To what extent is LSBE important?
Life skills are personal and social skills that enable young people to effectively handle high demands and problems and respond positively to health challenges. The skills developed during this programme go further than just their health needs as they build character, self-esteem and confidence. It encourages them to question, be critical and evaluative, and organize their thoughts before they articulate, therefore making them better communicators. Moreover, it is important to equip adolescents with necessary knowledge and skills that they are able to make sensible choices and follow safe behavior for the rest of their life. It is empowerment programme and based on sexual and reproductive health rights respected universally by government and civil society organizations.

Q. LSBE & Sex Education is the same thing?
LSBE and Sex education are two different approaches. Some of its components can over lap, but the idea and philosophy behind two is different.
Life skills based education targets to teach young people with personal and social skills to effectively handle day to day life demands and situation. Whereas; Sex education is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, and other aspects of human sexual behaviors. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers, school programs, and public health campaigns.

Q. How can I be part of the programme or curriculum?
If you are a student, teacher or principal, please write to WPF at lsbe@wpfpak.org to get more information about the implementation of the programme in your school.
If you are a young person, encourage your teachers and principal to get to know more about Life Skills Based Education and advocate for its implementation in your school.

Q. What is the process of implementation of the programme in schools?
LSBE programme is implemented with the support of WPF local partners in selected districts. It involves:

• Teachers trainings
• Sharing of LSBE’s manual
  • Teachers manual
  • Students workbook / manual
• Documentaries
• Teachers development Forums
• Learning Forums

Q. What is the teaching methodology of LSBE used for students?
Students are involved in:

• Group discussions
• Role plays
• Brainstorming sessions
• Lectures
• Case studies
• Games
• Quizzes
• Debates
• And many other related activities.

Q. Lack of content knowledge can bring difficulty for a mentor to express the information?

Lack of communication skills, jumping to conclusions and building our own house of perceptions, usually leads us to the track of unauthentic information. Life Skills Based-Education for Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights is one of the platforms where WPF is privileged to provide authentic and factual information, in the right manner, to the right person.  WPF lays strong emphasis on the training of Master trainers’, such that right contents are delivered, through right people, at the right place; further to ensure quality monitoring tools & mechanisms have also been developed.