Life Skills, and integration of social and financialeducation in the curriculum in the

Republic of Macedonia

Aflatoun Regional Meeting 2014“Smart Partnerships: Strengthening and Scaling Child Social and

Financial Education in Europe and Central Asia”

Luan Imeri

About Republic of Macedonia

Population: 2 million

Heterogeneous population structure: ethnic Macedonians, ethnic Albanians, ehnicTurks, Roma and ethnic Serbs.

Primary and secondary school are obligatory

Life Skills curriculum is mandatory for all students

Aflatoun, UNICEF, BDE and CHRCR

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Aflatoun “Child Social and Financial Education” is UNICEF’s flagship programme to advocate for and promote quality education for every child

CSFE Module is included in the UNICEF’s “Child Friendly Schools Manual”

Background of working relationship:

UNICEF Macedonia and the Government of Macedonia have a close working relationship.

UNICEF’s Child Friendly Schools programme of Quality Education was introduced in 2006 and has since been mainstreamed with a focus on multiculturalism, child rights and participation.

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Why Life skills?

Manuals for:

1-3 grade primary schools 4-6 grade primary schools 7-9 grade primary schools

1-4 grade for high school

Status of Life Skills Based Education• LSBE is a separate subject taken on during the homeroom class time

In primary school , the curricula that has been developed covers the sections below and employs the “Start-Learn-Reflect” methodology

o Me & Myselfo Me & Youo Me & Otherso Me & My Healtho Me & Environment

• LSBE completely covers the Social component of the CSFE programme

• The Financial and Entrepreneurship component will be integrated and introduced as a new section (Me & Resources / Money; Me & My Community)

• Extra-curricular (practical) activities of savings and enterprise projects are not conducted yet; however, there are instances when similar activities are already conducted and can be a jump-off point for these activities

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Life skills and CSFE

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•Life skills is mandatory subject in both primary and secondary education•It helps students in acquiring knowledge, attitudes and skills that help them choose and practice healthy behavior•Through CSFE, children will become responsible consumers, not only in monetary terms, but for saving natural resources, they will be able to plan and budget, to manage projects or enterprise, to save , to actively participate and network; and gain skills•Learning through experience and participatory - allow children to become and active participants•CSFE fits with the approach and methodology

Life skills programme

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• Representative from CHRCR was trained by Aflatoun in 2010 and it started to pre-pilot the Aflatoun activities in primary schools

• In 2011 CHRCR and the Bureau of Education started collaborating in schools by implementing the Life Skills Programmes which aims to pass on to young people relevant skills for their adult life.

• CHRCR trained teachers from more than 100 schools for this programme, using Aflatoun’s training sessions

• Final manuals of Life skills for primary and secondary schools are released (with activities of Aflatoun and Aflateen.)

• UNICEF role was crucial (leading and supporting). • All stakeholders are now coming together to discuss a common strategy to

have social and financial education as a widespread opportunity for children.

During 2013

UNICEF and Bureau for Education Development and NGOs (Aflatoun partners) agreed to expand CSFE for all grades of primary education, both in the curricula and non-formal education programmes

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Ongoing activities

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I. CURRICLUM DEVELOPMENTGrades 1-3 and 4-6 and 7- 9 of primary education (expert team from BDE and CHRCR)II. MATERIALS DEVELOPMENTTranslation and printing of teacher manuals and materialsIII. TRAININGTraining of Macedonian National Master Trainers in the Regional Aflatoun Training of Master trainersNational Master Trainers trains school teams consisting of 6-8 members (teachers and pedagogues and psychologists) from each of 10 primary schoolsIV. IMPLEMENTATIONCurricular activities with children from grades 1-3 and grades 4-6 of primary education piloted in 10 schoolsSavings clubs (grades 7-9)V. MONITORING and EVALUATION