Today’s children are in an ever-growing technology and data driven world, and much of the focus in education has understandably taken a shift toward STEM Subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. In this constantly changing environment, a child is compelled to meet the challenges of everyday life. To cope with the increasing pace and change of modern life, students need new skills to deal with stress and frustration. Today’s students will have many new jobs over the course of their lives, but associated with mental pressures and the need for flexibility. But they require skills to make good decisions and solve problems in their academic and professional careers as well as their personal lives. Therefore education should also play a critical role in an all round and comprehensive development of a child.
In this context life skills are the building blocks or framework that allow students to apply the knowledge they acquire in school to real world problems and situations. Also it allows a child to think abstractly and approach problems from multiple angles to find practical solutions, and enables a child to communicate clearly and effectively . Skill based education that is the need of the hour calls for parent’s active role in educating a child at home with projects that provide real world examples and lessons in decision making and problem solving. They can be as simple as assigning household chores and budgeting exercises, caring for a pet etc. This can also help a child to build social and interpersonal skills. Thus education can be more meaningful and enjoyable to a child.