Countries close ups!

What images come to your mind when you think about your education? Going to school – what was your experience?

Education is much more than schooling: it is a result of what you learn in school, at home, the workplace and through interactions with others. Schooling does not always prepare you with the necessary skills required to deal with everyday life, succeed in the world of work and to become good citizens.

In 2017, UNICEF MENA Regional Office and its partners launched the LSCE Initiative – Life Skills and Citizenship Education – to improve children and young people’s learning experience by putting the acquisition of life skills (skills for further learning, employability, active citizenship and personal development) at the core of teaching and learning, in the classroom and beyond. The LSCE Initiative seeks to transform traditional education systems into flexible systems that facilitate learning throughout life and promote interconnectivities regarding the role of education in societal development.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for flexible education systems to ensure continuity of learning and for skills that helps children to become independent learners (i.e. life skills). With the start of the new academic year 2020/2021, the Life Skills and Citizenship Education Initiative has become even more relevant to ensure children and young people can continue their education.

This series of animation videos introduces the concepts behind the Life Skills and Citizenship Education. In addition, examples from 5 countries are included that capture how Life Skills and Citizenship Education can be implemented in daily classroom practice to make education in schools more relevant.

Please note that the videos were made in pre-COVID-19 times. Living with COVID-19 means ensuring safe operations in schools, when practicing interactive teaching and learning methods: physical distancing, hygiene practices, and, where recommended, wearing a mask.

LSCE in Schools