1. Introduction

The MoEYS is currently working on a Life Skills Education policy, which includes a new Local Life Skills Program. This program provides schools with 2-5 hours per week for locally developed and relevant activities that are designed to give students the opportunity to extend the learning they have undertaken as part of the formal school curriculum. To facilitate the holistic development of the child, it is important to provide (pre-) vocational training to develop relevant life skills.

In line with the above, ESCUP supported schools have received grants for improving access and quality in their schools. They have been offered the choice of several quality improvement activities from a service menu of which life skills is an important category of activities. The life skills are divided into four categories:

• General life skills
• Cultural life skills
• Integrated Pest Management
• Supplementary Khmer Language

The first two categories are quite similar and therefore can be organized in the same way but IPM and SKL require specific preparations. Separate information sheets are available for these activities.

2. Primary Objectives

• To implement extracurricular activities that respond to the needs of children with consideration to their livelihood circumstances.
• To provide children with a choice in deciding what they would like to learn.
• To promote good relations between the school and the community as well as to provide an opportunity for the community to participate in the learning of children.
• Children have a better understanding of the cultural diversity in their communities.

3. Target group

1. All ESCUP supported schools which planned for general and cultural life skills.
2. Students from Grade 5 & 6 who volunteer to participate in this extracurricular activity.

4. Facilitators

• Teachers from Grade 5 & 6
• Selected community resource persons for several life skills (as identified by the students)

5. Information on Implementation

The life skills activity will be implemented as an extracurricular activity for approximately 1 hour a week for 10 weeks. There will be several groups in each school with a variety of topics.

The following steps are suggested guidelines for the preparation for implementation:

1. Orientation for cluster committee and community representatives who will act as focal points for life skills activities in the school
2. Training for teachers of Grade 5 & 6
3. Teachers will provide an orientation to students of Grade 5&6 and prepare student groups for community research
4. Students work in groups to conduct the research to identify interesting and useful skills in the community and identify potential resource persons who can facilitate the life skills lessons
5. Teacher will present the results and students choose the topics of their choice.
6. The school will recruit community resource persons who will facilitate the life skills lessons in school and prepare an implementation plan with them, in close cooperation with the teachers of Grade 5-6
7. Implementation of the actual activity with the students.

6. Resources Needed

$450 per group of 30 children

• Community teachers
• Materials for classes
• Remuneration for teachers