All about life

          The portrayal of women, the language of instruction. The treatment of topics. The constutionality of federal diktat on the provincial subject. The extent of public consultation. The conflation of secular and religious subjects. There is no shortage of issue on which the single National Curriculum  has stirred controversy. One area that has faced less security is the coverage of life skills. Given the prevalence of early marriage and pregnancy, poor awareness about sexual intercourse, reproductive and maternal health and widespread child abuse. This is an unfortunate oversight. During the development of the SNC, a conference on the theme of life skills based education was organized, staring hope that  topics such as as puberty and consent would be addressed. But information available indicates that limited life skills content will be included in the SNC, with a focus on religious values and inclusion, understood narrowly as respect of ethno-linguistic diversity.

            Some life skills like hygiene may be addressed as part of civic conduct and through the religion curriculum, where they are coached in religious values rather then presented as stand along topics. Broader consideration of sexual and reproductive health, safeguarding and consent may remain untouched. The regressive  portrayal  of women in the curriculum also likely impacts the quality of any life skills imparted  including consideration of equality and human rights. Indeed, the  religio-nationalist approach of the SNC will likely make any discourse on these essential subjects seem taboo, while also excluding minorities from excessing life skills-based education.

            Interestingly, even brief exposure to life skills education led to significant improvements. Fore example the number of youth who believed it was better to stay  silent after being sexually abused dropped from 23pc to 4pc: awareness of self esteemed increase from 27pc to 47pc and understanding of what puberty entails increased from 45pc to 57pc. The importance of life skills based education was already well established before the project qualified its impact. The Sindh government in 2018 introduced life skilled based topics in the provincial curriculum, including modules on human rights, equality hygiene and practical issues such as a protection against hepatitis. Government representatives at the time directly linked the life skills curriculum to efforts to prevent tragedies such as the mass sexual assault of the children that took place in District Kasur. There is perception that life skills education may generate squeamishness  among adults, including concerns that topics broached are transgressive or inappropriate for adolescents. But teachers and parents involved in the project welcomed the instructions on these topics, recognizing they themselves lack and approached  or vocabulary  for discussing such topics with young adult. Most parents inter-viewed were grateful that their children would be safer and healthier.

            The needs for life skills based education is clear. Let's hope a holistic life skills curriculum, including topics such as sexual health and consent, is incorporated before the curriculum is ruled out at the secondary school level. Life skills were identified as a need in the previous national education policy, but not widely implemented. Pakistan's youth deserve more out of the present curriculum reform initiatives. Life skills based education should be main streamed as part of the SNC and included in teacher training programs. There is little use importing information if young people are not  empowered to keep themselves healthy and safe.