This document outlines an initiative to institutionalize life skills education in MENA countries. It aims to develop a conceptual framework for life skills, provide programmatic guidelines, and introduce a monitoring and evaluation framework. Life skills are defined based on the four pillars of learning from the Delors Report. The initiative involves various partners and held a meeting in Amman in 2015. It presents a framework with four dimensions of learning and associated life skills. Citizenship education is discussed as a core component, and next steps include country missions and consultation meetings.

1. Quality Learning though
Life Skills in MENA

2. Purpose of the Initiative
Overall objective is to support MENA countries in
institutionalizing life skills education within their
national education systems (both for formal and non-
formal education), and within the workplace.
More specifically, it aims to:
• Develop a conceptual framework for life skills
education that is relevant for the MENA context.
• Provide clear programmatic guidelines for life skills
programming in MENA countries.
• Introduce a life skills M&E framework in MENA that
includes the measurement of learning outcomes.

3. Vision and working definition of life skills
• Despite the increased emphasis on the development of life skills
as a mean to enhance the quality of education, as well as
prepare young people for successful employment in a rapidly
challenging and globalized world, there is still no common
definition.
• The proposed AM/CPF is anchored through the UNESCO
Delors Report which has defined the essential functions of life
skills as back as 1996 through four pillars of education:
‘learning to know’, ‘learning to be’, ‘learning to live
together’ and ‘learning to do’.
• Partners in this initiative include: UNESCO, World Bank,
UNRWA, ILO, UNHCR, and UNFPA

4. MEdNet Meeting, Amman November 2015.
• The MEdNet meeting: periodically organized by the UNICEF
MENA Regional Office (MENARO) to engage with government
counterparts from ministries of education, education partners
and experts on education programmatic directions and
initiatives relevant to the MENA region
• MEdNet meeting 2015:
• Focused on Life skills as a key pillar of quality learning in
MENA
• Provided a High-level platform for exchange and dialogue
for more than one hundred and fifty participants who
actively contributed to the meeting, including country
delegations from fifteen MENA countries
• Started the process of rethinking education that is
contextual to MENA

5. The 4 dimensions of learning and types of life skills
Learning
to know Learning
to Be
Learning
to Do
Learning
to Live
Together
Includes skills for
learning and
necessary for the
relevant
application and
use of
knowledge, such
as analytical skills,
critical thinking,
problem solving, etc.
Includes skills for
personal
empowerment
such as self-
awareness, self-
control,
communication,
agency, etc.
Includes skills for
active
citizenship and
refers to core values
including respect
for diversity,
tolerance, global
citizenship, etc.
Includes skills for
employability
such as
entrepreneurship,
teamwork,
customer-
relationship, etc.

6. Life Skills Education Framekwork

7. ‫ﺍﻁﺎﺭ‬‫ﺍﻟﺣﻳﺎﺗﻳﺔ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻣﻬﺎﺭﺍﺕ‬ ‫ﺗﻌﻠﻳﻡ‬ ‫ﻧﻅﻡ‬

8. Thematic Areas
 Under each of the four dimensions are thematic, technical or
academic areas of teaching and learning where life skills are
integrated, and which are called “Thematic Areas”.
 They could include curricular and vocational disciplines,
computer literacy, health and environmental education, risk
education, human rights and civic education, arts, sports,
culture, etc.
 These are different from life skills and rather reflect areas or
sub-themes where life skills can be embedded.

9. Dimensions, Skills, and Thematic Areas

10. A systems approach to life skills programming
• Referred to as programming that is anchored with Ministries of
Education and within education systems – as a means to maximize
the impact of learning opportunities available to children and young
people.
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 The systems approach to
life skills programming
includes five key aspects.

11. A multiple pathway approach to life skills
programming
• Life skills education is delivered
through various
channels/pathways in the
education system to include 1)
formal and 2) non-formal
education, 3) workplace and
road to workplace.
• There are various modalities
and ways of delivering life
skills to beneficiaries
(curricular & extracurricular,
standalone and integrated, self-
learning, etc.
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12. Towards a Definition of Citizenship Education in MENA
• Citizenship education is a core component of Life Skills education, inspired
by the Delors’ four pillars of learning:
• Citizenship education, and the values it needs to promote, underpins
quality and relevant education through life skills
Learning to
Know
or
Cognitive
Dimension
Learning to Be
or
Individual
Dimension
Learning to
Live Together
or
Social
Dimension
Learning to Do
or
Instrumental
Dimension
Skills for
Learning
Skills for
Personal
Empowerm
ent
Skills for
Active
Citizenship
Skills for
Employability

13. Towards a Definition of Citizenship Education in MENA
• Citizenship education is best
understood as a continuum of
educational approaches that
go from more minimalistic to
more ambitious or maximalist
ones.
• A progressive orientation of
citizenship education is
aligned with the principles
upheld by a Human Rights-
Based Approach to Education
From minimalist
approaches
To maximalist
approaches
Civics education Citizenship education
Education about citizenship Education for citizenship
Reproduction of social order Positive social transformation
Conformity/compliance Action and civic engagement
Content-led Process-led
Knowledge-based Value-based
Didactic transmission Multiple pedagogical strategies
Adapted from Tawil (2013) and Kerr (1999)

14. Citizenship Education underpinning Life Skills in MENA
Learning
to know Learning
to Be
Learning
to Do
Learning to Live Together
Includes skills for
learning and
necessary for the
relevant
application and
use of knowledge,
such as analytical
skills, critical
thinking, problem
solving, etc.
Includes skills for
personal
empowerment
such as self-
awareness, self-
control,
communication,
agency, etc.
Includes skills for active citizenship and refers to core values including respect for
diversity, tolerance, global citizenship, etc.
Includes skills for
employability such
as entrepreneurship,
teamwork, customer-
relationship, etc.

15. Next Steps
• A process to ensure of coherent approach and strong
partnership that is consolidated through:
• Analytical mapping and in-depth country missions:
• Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, and Morocco
• Consultation meetings:
• May 29-31, 2016
• November, TBD, 2016

16. Q&A

17. For more information, please contact
Name: Dina Craissati
Title Regional Education Advisor
Email dcraissati@unicef.org
UNICEF Middle East & North Africa Regional Office
P.O. Box 1551
Amman 11821
Jordan
Tel: +962-6-550-2400
© UNICEF MENARO 2015
Cover photo © credit goes here