LIFE SKILL - A DYNAMIC MUTI-DIMENSIONAL PROCESS ENCOMPASSING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT Education is the most important instrument for human resource development. Education has been regarded as both an end in itself and as a means of realizing other desirable ends. It develops the personality and rationality of individuals, qualifies them to full files certain economic, political and cultural functions and there by improve their socio-economic status. Education is an instrument of socialization is considered as a powerful catalytic agent for social change. Hence quality education and empowerment of youth are very much needed in the context of Globalization, Liberalization and Internationalization. An effective educational system is an essential foundation to lead a decent life. The Indian youth is currently at crossroads. India has been facing the challenges in providing quality education to the youth. The issues of financing, management, equity, and relevance, reorientation of programmes for laying emphasis on values and ethics and quality of higher education all are of severe concern at the present situation. The mobility of skilled manpower increased with globalization and Indian education system also evolved into knowledge-based society. Demands of contemporary life, under privileged parenting, dysfunctional relations, changing family structure, new perspectives of young people’s needs, speedy socio-cultural changes all makes it crucial for a life skill education. Life skills are defined as the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour enables individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. The world health organization (WHO) defined life skill as abilities to face the day to day complex situations successfully and adjust with them efficiently. It identifies ten life skills that are very much needed to lead a healthy and happy life, so that all the human resources can be utilized effectively and productively. They are: Problem solving skills, Critical thinking skills, Creative thinking skills, Decision making skills, Effective communication skills, Inter personal relationship skills, Self-awareness skills, Empathy, Skills to cope with emotions and Skills to cope with stress. Life skill education can help to improve the well-being of individuals. The life skills are to be developed in the process of education. This life skills enable a person to live his life effectively purposefully, successfully and meaningfully. When knowledge is learned passively, without skills, it is often learned at a superficial level and therefore not readily transferred to new environments, deep understanding and accountability for the real world will occur Innovative Techniques of School Education and Teacher Education for 21st Century Srinivas University Page 10 only by embedding skills within knowledge domain, such that each enhances the other. In the present social scenario skills are the key to solving economic, civic, and global challenges and to engaging effectively in those spheres, then we must act upon the belief that using those skills to overhaul our education system is possible