YOUTH AND LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Abstract

Education occupies a strategic position in India’s development priorities. United Nations Organisation (UNO) focused on Sustainable Development Goals (2017), amongst the 17 goals aimed by UNO, education occupied 4th place in SDG, those are ““By 2030, to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes”. In addition to acquire education, the students’ horizontal development and national development in four dimensions (Physically, Emotionally, Socially and Spiritually). The first initaitive of the Life Skills appraoch to education was embedded in ‘Basic Education program ’(1937-61) or the Wardha Scheme of Education, to enable learners to be a matured ones to face life situations and be useful for the society to go forward in all areas (Personal development, Human development, Economic development and social development –SAGY, Government of India(2014)). Life skills lesson may start with a teacher exploring with the students what their ideas or knowledge is about a particular situation in which a life skill can be used. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) recognized life skills for improving health of the children. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) linked life skills to education as education is the only way of teaching and training something to someone. Many studies identified and found that youngsters lack the ability to seek the support and reinforce the life skills, because of traditional mechanisms (i.e. family and cultural factors) for inculcating life skills, the media influence and effects of growing up of cultural and ethnicdiversity. Also the expectations of individuals and their parents’ expectations don’t match (WHO, 1997). Many students (Youth) are unable to utilize their potential to the maximum extent due to various reasons. The cut-throat competition, unemployment, lack of job security, external pressures (parents’ aspirations, criticisms from others, neighbors) are some of the major concerns for the educated and as a result, they are caught in the mad race (Prajapati, Sharma,B., Sharma,D., 2017). Some of the youngsters were unable get proper training and foundations. The program of Life Skills Education is for the promotion of health and well being of all children(CBSE). The teaching of Life Skills helps to prevent anti social activities and behavior like substance abuse etc. (Botvin et.al. 1984, Penz,1983). Present paper focuses on the importance of life skills education and the benefits of imparting life skill education among students to enable their potentials within the lines of Critical Pedagogy.