The Sunday Mail
Pastor Smalls Zulu
My Perspective
Our Government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, has to be applauded for considering the incorporation of life skills into the education curriculum.
Similar initiatives such as the United States President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) have seen African youths empowered.
Life skills are not in the category of technical skills such as woodwork or agriculture as some parents assume. Life skills can simply be defined as the adaptive and positive behaviour that enables individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.
Education is much more about thinking ways. lt involves creative and critical approaches to problem solving and decision making.
Socials ills such as the prevalent child marriages, prostitution, drug abuse, violence and murder cases are a barometer of the life skills deficiency crisis.
ln his book ‘Addressing The Life Skills Crisis’, Doctor Spencer Kagan points out that life skills crisis are a catastrophic imbalance between supply and demand.
He further alludes that the need to boost academic achievement should come second after the need to boost life skills.
The corporate world and other stakeholders must come on board to help in this noble cause.
Life skills can be divided into four skill categories – thinking, working, learning and social.
1. Thinking Skills: creativity, problem solving, decision making and self knowledge, accessing and analysing information.
2. Working Skills: communication, cooperation, people management, time management, organisation, leading influence.
3. Learning Skills: ICT, agility and adaptability, handling criticism, innovation orexploration
4. Social Skills: citizenship, social responsibility, cultural awareness, social development.
Acquiring such skills, equips one to be prepared for life. The dramatic changes in the global economies have been matched with transformation in technology. All these changes are impacting on education, the workplace and our lives at home. I believe that education is a process that enables students to take their position in society as effective learners, professionals and citizens.
The reality is that there is a mismatch between what the schools supply to students and the demands of the outside world. This has resulted in high unemployment rates.
A colleague of mine who is a human resources consultant confided in me that the majority of companies that he deals with complain about the quality of graduates. Today’s graduates lack skills such as teamwork, communication and the ability to cope under pressure, among many others.
Students need to be prepared for the marketplace and society.
Churches should also come on board and minister to the complete person – spirit, soul and body.
According to Luke 2 v 52, Jesus grew (developed) in wisdom (thinking skills), stature (physical development), favour with God (spiritual life) and favour with man (social skills).
Churches can leverage on their ability to attract youths and impart life skills to them.
In August last year, I was invited to conduct some sessions at a church gathering in Chiwundura area, outside Gweru.
The program was a success. Thousands of youths had come from all over the country. The church leaders took that opportunity to impart life skills to the youth.
Initiatives such as these will make all of us active players in creating the Zimbabwe that we want.
I subscribe to the adage that says that “when planning for a year, plant maize;when planning for a decade, plant trees but when planning for life, train and educate society.”
A better you and a better me will create a better Zimbabwe.
Pastor S. Zulu is a change agent, social transformer, life skills and leadership coach. He ministers at Innercity Christian Church.
