ALIVE PROJECT_ PHASE 2: FOCUS ON 6 – 12 YEAR OLDS, SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

                                                              

By, Hamad Rashid: After conducting assessment of life skills and values for 13-17-year-olds, the Assessment of Life Skills and Value (ALiVE) Project is entering into another phase (Phase two) which targets 6-12 olds, in schools. In an effort to impart positive mindset through nurturing of values and life skills, especially 21^st century skills, the project will work with education systems to formulate best ways to have formative assessments of values and life skills.

This is a major step to be made through the Life Skills and Values Project explained in the launch of the ALiVE Phase two Project, the launch took place in Zanzibar on 15^th June 2023.

ALiVE Phase 2 was launched on 15^th June 2023, at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Malindi, Zanzibar. It was officiated by the Minister of Education and Vocational Training – Hon. Lela Muhammed Mussa. Speaking to journalists after launch, Hon. Lela said, “This project has started with the first phase and has made great achievements. Evidence on the challenges that we have for our children were illuminated through the assessment findings on levels of proficiencies of assessed adolescents in life skills and values. Most of the youth finish school while they still lack mastery of essential life skills that are pertinent in the labor market. Regardless, of whether they seek employment or self-employ, they need these skills to be able to thrive in this 21^st century world. Therefore, we must help these children shape the education system to assist our children to master 21^st century skills."

PHOTO OF PARTICIPANT  IN VENUE:

The Global Facilitator of ALiVE Project, Educationist and Life Skills Expert, Professor Esther Care, in an interview with the Tanzanian Kids Times, commended the governments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for incorporating life skills into their Education Curricula. She said that, this shows good progress in helping the child. Prof. Care said, “All three countries Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda they have seen that the Education system before, was not adequately preparing children for future opportunities and that children needed more than just literacy skills, but also building of problem-solving skills, Insights into what is happening and what happens to others and the skills of collaboration. And if so, we need to incorporate these skills into the curriculum, because if we measure these things in children, we will find a way to prepare appropriate curriculums”.

PHOTO OF PROFESSOR ESTHER CARE IN TRAINING

Samson John Sitta from the Milele Zanzibar Foundation is the ALiVE Project Coordinator in Tanzania, he mentioned three areas that ALiVE Phase Two Project will focus on over the three-years period.

“In this second phase, the project focuses in three outcome areas; SYSTEMS SHIFT, ASSESSMENTS SHIFT; and LEARNING HUB. We will be working with Government departments as we go this way because this project is now going to be implemented for children aged six to twelve years, who are in school, unlike the first phase where we focused on household assessments," said Samson John Sitta.

The launch of ALiVE Project Phase 2 was accompanied with capacity-building training to East African Education stakeholders and representative members of the Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI).

                                                                                                                              PHOTO OF RICHARD MABALA:

Mwl. Richard S. Mabala, the Expert of Life Skills and ALIVE Project Technical Team member had this to say, “We've looked more deeply at what life skills are and what 21^st century skills are. It is basically the same but its direction is a little different, we have started to figure out how to evaluate so that we can test our children whether they are getting these skills or not, because if you look at the draft of the new Education Policy, 21^st Century Skills are strongly emphasized, so ALiVE's mission is to contribute to the implementation of the new Education Policy".

The Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation, a non-governmental organization from Nairobi which hubs ALiVE regionally, Dr. John Mugo, said: "We in Kenya have been able to make progress as well as here in Tanzania and we are now working closely with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and this partnership will focus on the teachers, how they will be empowered by the national curriculum and testing, so that we can make progress and every child can gain these life skills and values."

Mr. Shaaban Khatibu Shaaban, an official from the Zanzibar Examinations Council (ZEC), was part of the workshop trainees. During interview with Kids Times, he said, "ALiVE project phase one, found many young people with low levels of proficiencies in self-awareness, problem solving, communication and collaborating. Through this second phase, we believe these 21^st century skills will be integrated and teachers will be facilitated to understand, hence teach life skills and values."