“There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.”
- James Truslow Adams
You might know Mr. Adams as the one who coined the phrase ‘American Dream’ in the year 1931. But I’m more interested in this quote of his. You see, our schools and colleges are brilliant at imparting the first kind of education. But the only experts in the latter seem to be saffron-clad Gurus and Babas.
Thanks. But no, thanks.
These skills, that Mr. Adams has immortalised for me, have many names that people continue to squabble over – Life Skills, Soft Skills, 21st Century Skills. Let us at least agree on the definition:
Skills that we need to deal effectively with the challenges in everyday life – at school, during work, or in our personal lives. Usually, these skills can be applied to more than one facet of life.
Or as British Council puts it:
Life Skills touch upon issues that are real (they actually affect quality of life), topical, sometimes sensitive (they can impact people on a personal level), often controversial (people tend to have strong opinions, and disagreements are common), and ultimately moral (these skills tie in with how people think about good or bad, right or wrong)
You probably nodded in agreement on reading both those definitions. That’s because the seemingly simple term “Life Skills” includes a whole host of actual skills needed to survive and thrive in our ever-changing environment.
Look around you, and tell me what you see. Do you see how economy after economy has changed in recent years? Do you see how technology has aided that change? Do you see how a virus is transforming our education system, work life and personal life?
The increasing pace of changes in modern life demands development of new skills. Our children will face a different set of challenges:
With an increasing number of families having both parents working , kids will need to get better at dealing with stress and frustration, managing personal insecurities, peer pressure, or bullying
They’ll eventually go to work in an extremely dynamic job market where social skills might be more important than core technical skills. We’re already witnessing the rise of teams. Collaboration, Networking and Leading by Influence would prove to be valuable skills in such an environment
The same job market would put the ability to learn at a premium. With industries in a constant flux, it is almost a given that an employee won’t be working the same job five years down the line, which they are hired for today
Better medical facilities today would mean that our kids will be caring for an increasingly older generation. They would need skills like Kindness, Compassion, Care-giving and Empathy
As people change cities in pursuit of careers, societies will become more heterogeneous. Our kids will need to be highly skilled in understanding, accepting and thriving with differences
These are but a few examples of the Life Skills our kids need to develop. And while experts continue breaking their heads to build a comprehensive list, the World Health Organisation’s classification might be a good starting point.
At The Tuppence, we work on the following Life Skills:
Going through the list, you would’ve probably realised how different life skills relate to different phases of life. For example,
When our child is a student, study/ academic skills, which optimise studying, are most important
When they move on to the job market, employability and leadership skills gain prominence
When they start a family, parenting skills take centre-stage
Hence, in each phase of life, they’ll need to add new skills to their repertoire. They’ll have to do this without compromising on the skills they might’ve gained previously. Perhaps then, the most important skill of them all is the ability to learn . It’ll help our kids adapt to changing situations. And to build this skill, we need to start working with them right away. As in now, you know? Like 5 seconds ago, when you read that last sentence?
Students and people who understand these skills, and use them along with their educational qualifications, will be much better placed to take advantage of future educational and employment opportunities. Often, the best way for kids to imbibe these skills is through stories and activities.
The current education system teaches them how to make a living. But are you, the parent, willing to step up and impart the education that, in the words of Mr. James Truslow Adams, teaches them how to live?
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