The importance of Life Skills Education and counselling programme in the Namibian schools setting

Abstract

Life skills is a compulsory subject in Namibia.All schools with Grades 4 to 12 are required to fully implement the life skills education and counselling programme. This subject concerns developing in learners the ability and skills which will enable them to cope with important tasks in times of change. This paper used a documentary review approach to examine the aims of life skills education and counselling programs, groups of life skills, and the role of life skills teachers/teachercounsellors, and counselling services offered as well as the difficulties life skills teachers face with the implementation of the subject in the school settings. The review revealed that life skills education faces implementation difficulties such as little time allocation, inadequate teachers, overloaded syllabus, and shortage of textbooks. It is therefore recommended that school management ensure that life skills is an integral part of education and is implemented as per the Namibian curriculum guidelines.