Does life-skills training improve adolescent coping skills?

1.To improve teaching quality teachers will be trained as trainers. A selected group will be trained as Master Trainers (MT).

• MT training programmes will be conducted with the help of Family Health Bureau-Sri Lanka (FHB). Principal investigator, Educational (subject) Director/s (Life skills) and Master Teachers (Life skills) of IG will be trained as MTs. MT training will be conducted as a three day interactive work-shop.

• Trainer (teacher) training will be conducted by MTs under the supervision of FHB and principal investigator. Minimum of one teacher from each school of interventional group (IG) will be trained to teach life skills. Teachers, who have already under gone a some type of a life skills training, who have experience in life skills teaching, who have experience in student counselling or who have interest in teaching life skills, will be given priority in selecting as life skills trainers. Trained teachers should function as the designated teacher for life skills of that school at least for next two years. Trainer training will be conducted as a three day interactive work-shop.

• Student training will be thoroughly and continuously supervised by respective Educational (subject) Directors (Life skills) and Master Teachers (Life skills) of IG and by the principal investigator separately. Standard criteria which use to evaluate teaching in department of education and special evaluation prepared by the principal investigator will be used in this supervision. Student training will be conducted over five years and all the teachers will be supervised at least twice per term.

2.Standardizing assessments

• Monthly and end-term student assessments will be conducted by Provincial Department of Education North Western Province (PDEdu) under the guidance of principal investigator and FHB. Process of student assessment will be thoroughly supervised by the principal investigator to ensure regular standard timely assessments. Marks will be entered in to mark sheets and sent to Provincial Department of Education through respective Divisional and Zonal educational offices.

3.Improving parental attitude towards this subject

• Regular parents meetings will be organized, at least once a term, at school level to improve parental attitude about this subject. The subject teacher will deliver a talk to emphasize the importance of this subject. This process also supervised by Educational (subject) Directors (Life skills) and Master Teachers (Life skills) of IG and by the principal investigator separately.

• A leaflet, which contains the importance of life skills, will be provided to parents.

4.Improving students’ attitude towards this subject

• “Life skills – Wall Paper” will be introduced to all the class rooms of selected grads. This wall paper will be maintained with the participation of all the students in the class, under the supervision of life-skills trained teacher of the school. In addition to students’ creations, a poster designed by the principal investigator, will be displayed on the same wall-paper. This process also supervised by Educational (subject) Directors (Life skills) and Master Teachers (Life skills) of respective educational zones and divisions and by the principal investigator separately.

• A leaflet, which contains the importance of life skills, will be provided to students.

• Certificate will be awarded, including monthly and end term assessment marks, in addition to student report cards, for the students in schools of IG.

5.Provide resources as teaching and learning aids

• Typing sheets, Poster papers and painting sticks will be provided as physical resources to prepare teaching aids, to all schools in IG.

6.Ensure the availability of student counselor in all IG group schools and providing resources to improve his/her counseling skills.

Grade 6,7,8 and 9 students in Sinhala medium government schools in the Kurunegala District

Students already diagnosed as having a learning disability