Youth Life skills-based education

Life skills-based education (LSBE) aims at developing students’ skills in problem solving, critical thinking and decision making. It also aims to develop students’ self-management skills such as self-awareness, self-control and resilience, as well as communications skills including refusal, negotiation and conflict management.

LSBE applies the participatory approach made appropriate to gender, cultural background and developmental stage of the students. It could be in the form of class discussion, demonstration and guided practice, role plays, team games, case studies, storytelling, debates and decision mapping or problem tree.

Life skills-based education (LSBE) on HIV/AIDS and sex

Life skills-based HIV/AIDS and sex education should have the following components:

1. Conducted inside schools
2. Use interactive approach
3. To develop students’ cognitive skills, self-management skills and communication skills
4. To teach students on HIV/AIDS, its prevention and how to use condoms

Life skills-based education (LSBE) programme on HIV/AIDS and sex in secondary schools 2014/15

The Red Ribbon Centre collaborated with the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (FPAHK) to roll out the LSBE programme for junior secondary students in the 2014/15 school term. We aimed to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS among the students, develop their skills in critical thinking, decision making, self-awareness and interpersonal communication, as well as practical skills in self-protection and condom use.

Survey on HIV/AIDS and sex education in junior secondary level in Hong Kong - 2013

In response to the recommendation of the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS (ACA), the government conducted a territory wide survey to understand the situation of LSBE on HIV/AIDS and sex at junior secondary level. The survey was conducted in early 2013 and 360 secondary schools participated. Results were announced on 3 January 2014. Survey results, available teaching and learning resources, seminar, and supplementary information about LSBE on HIV/AIDS and sex are shown below.

• Letter to Principals (PDF)
  • Annex I - Fact sheet on Survey of Life Skills-based Education on HIV/AIDS at Junior level of Secondary School in Hong Kong (PDF)
  • Annex II - List of teaching and learning resources and non-governmental organizations that provided LSBE (PDF) (Updated in March 2016)

Training programme on life skills-based HIV/AIDS and sex education

• Multi-sectoral seminar – Learning and Teaching Strategies for Preventing Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS (5 Mar 2014 2pm -5 pm)(Chinese version PDF).

Resources for life skills-based HIV/AIDS and sex education

• AIDS Newsletter No. 61 – Life skills-based education on HIV/AIDS (Chinese version PDF)
• “Red Ribbon in Action” AIDS Education Funding Scheme

Supplementary information for LSBE

• Critical success factors for life skills-based HIV education (PDF)
• Key components and teaching methods of life skills-based HIV education (PDF)
• Monitoring the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. Guidelines on Construction of Core Indicators. UNAIDS. (PDF)
• Skills for Health. Skills-based health education including life skills: An important component of a Child-Friendly/Health-Promoting School. WHO . (PDF)
• Life skills-based education for HIV prevention: A critical analysis. UK working group on education and HIV/AIDS. (PDF)