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Informative Article | Educational Psychology | Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026 | Pages: 2018 - 2021 | India
Life Skills Education Among Upper Primary School Students in Kerala: From Curriculum Intent to Meaningful Practice
Abstract: The importance of life skills education is being increasingly seen as an important aspect of holistic schooling, particularly in the upper primary years when children undergo significant cognitive, emotional, social and behavioural development. Life skills are skills that help learners to deal with everyday obstacles in a constructive way, develop healthy relationships, manage emotions, make informed decisions, solve problems and participate properly in society. Life skills have become more and more present in educational policy and curriculum discussions, but there is a constant concern about how much they are systematically developed, practiced and integrated into students? daily conduct. The essay discusses the importance, status, obstacles and prospects of life skills education among the upper primary school pupils in Kerala. Drawing on the life skills framework of the World Health Organization, experiential learning theory, social cognitive theory, social and emotional learning perspectives and contemporary Indian educational policy, this article argues that life skills should be conceptualised as lived competencies rather than an additional body of knowledge. The article critically evaluates the Kerala educational scenario in terms of curriculum reform and school-based life-skills programs and highlights important challenges in curricular integration, teacher preparedness, time allocation, assessment, contextualisation, continuity and behavioural transfer. Indian research evidence demonstrates that structured life-skills interventions can boost student competences and that pedagogy is vital for turning curricular aims into meaningful learning experiences. The article discusses an integrated framework for awareness, experience, practice, reflection, transfer and internalisation to improve life skills education at the upper primary level of schools in Kerala. It concludes that the future of life skills education lies not in adding yet another subject to an already packed curriculum, but in transforming ordinary classroom and school experiences into opportunities to develop capable, reflective, resilient, empathetic and socially responsible learners.
Keywords: Life Skills Education, Upper Primary Education, Kerala, Experiential Learning, Social-Emotional Development, Curricular Integration, Behavioural Competencies, School Education
How to Cite?: O P Fousiya, Dr. T. Mohammed Saleem, "Life Skills Education Among Upper Primary School Students in Kerala: From Curriculum Intent to Meaningful Practice", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 2018-2021, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26928190711, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26928190711