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Imam Al- Hassan Secondary School is one of Al- Mabarrat educational institutions, and is a nurturing and inclusive school located in Beirut-Lebanon. Based on the vision and mission, it serves as a secondary school dedicated to spark a passion for learning. As for the school’s curriculum, it is designed to equip every student with the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and values essential skills for unlocking lifelong opportunities and progressing to both higher education and the workforce. Because our children come to school lacking essential skills, our role as educators is evidently traced through the focus on essential skills which is articulated in the school’s mission statement, aligning with the mission of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, which is founded on an open, principled, and mission-driven philosophy. The essential skills are vital in addressing the challenges that the learners face, such as maintaining high aspirations and a positive outlook. Cultivating these skills from an early age is crucial for overcoming such challenges.
Overall impact
We started by conducting our own research to learn about the program, followed by strategic meetings with the Skills Builder Education Advisor, which provided us with crucial insights into the Accelerator Programme implementation. An administrative team, overseen by the school principal and including the director of the third educational cycle, was established to manage this project. The cycle director informed the parents about the new program during the first parents’ meetings of the school year and through formal statements sent via WhatsApp. Subsequently, a subcommittee was formed with representatives from each educational cycle. This team engaged with teachers in each cycle, relaying information about the Accelerator Programme and equipping teachers with assessment tools. Following the training, individual student assessments were conducted. Mapping the curriculum revealed the integrated and missing skills, leading to the addition of appropriate activities from hub resources into the curriculum, tailored to each age group and skill set. Effectively, this process has informed the parents about the programme and has raised awareness of the essential skills among both teachers and students. Moreover, the Skills Builder program has offered additional support to our existing core skills project, reinforcing our efforts to cultivate essential skills in our learners.
Keep it simple
Each classroom prominently displayed the eight essential skills, with a dedicated showcase in the hall for the current skills being taught in each semester. A school-wide assembly introduced each new skill, and this information was also shared with parents through social media applications, and parental meetings. Focusing on one skill at a time, we integrated it into our termly plans and used the assessment tool to determine the appropriate step for our classes. Lessons were aligned with the specific step being taught, and we incorporated the language from the Skills Builder Universal Framework in to lesson plans and activities. Comprehensively, we trained the staff on using the Framework, through weekly coordination meetings, ensuring consistent implementation across all the educational classes. Students have received certificates upon completing each skill, with photos archived in our school system folders and shared with parents. Achieving a tangible progress, the teachers highlighted the learners’ achievements in their essential skills within their reports.
Start early, keep going
This is our inaugural year of systematically implementing this program in the school. We decided to allocate the skills across all cycles, assigning one of the communication skills to each cycle based on students’ needs. Cycle three and secondary focused on Problem Solving and Creativity skills to ensure comprehensive reinforcement. A weekly timetable was meticulously planned for each class and subject area, guided by curriculum mapping, to guarantee the effective teaching and learning of each subskill. Students’ reflections after these sessions provided clear evidence of their learning. Utilising Skills Builder Hub activities, we assigned homework to students and informed parents about the Accelerator Programme and their role in encouraging their children acquire the essential skills at home. It is worth mentioning that high levels of creativity amongst our students has been recognised in the Annual Spring Festival organized by the AL- MABARRAT Institution in Lebanon.
Measure it
Effortlessly, the assessment tools from the Skills Builder Hub were employed before commencing each skill to ensure that the skill step meets the needs of the students in the classes, and they were re-assessed after the teaching each skill. This method has proven invaluable in selecting the initial step for teaching and in evaluating the progress students have achieved. Additionally, students were encouraged to self assess their improvement using essential skills passports and reflect on the strategies they have utilized to enhance their success.
Focus tightly
Coordinators, supervisors, and cycle directors did observations on termly basis where they tracked the engagement of teachers and students in the essential skills. Each term, all teachers had to perform model lessons to share experience in teaching essential skills. There was a clear focus on essential skills through daily and weekly preparations. Teachers and students ran discussions on the validity of essential skills and their impact on life. Former graduates who had already been students in our school shared their experience in learning essential skills and their importance for career progression.
Keep practising
Students have an opportunity to practice the essential skills in a range of different contexts. The skills have been referred to in drama, art, and sports lessons. Skills were reinforced in the English Day, Math Day, and Arabic Language Day where all students had the chance to engage in different activities to build their essential skills. Cycle three and secondary students (age 12 to 18) applied their skills with the Lebanese Red Cross in their classrooms. They also participated in social service activities where they aided women who are starting their career in knitting, weaving and hand crafts. The students sold some products done by those women to their friends during the break time. This was a real outstanding act of empathy.
Bring it to life
Students participated in different study tours and competitions that cover all subjects. Some talented students shared in writing stories in both languages Arabic and English winning the honour of publishing their stories for the public, demonstrating their ability to aim high and write creatively. Our music curriculum has also provided an opportunity for students to bring the skills to life, particularly during Teachers Day Celebrations, where students performed for staff. Secondary students had various visits to career counselling exhibitions at Arab University, Lebanese University and Antonine University, providing an opportunity to link the essential skills to further studying.
What's next
This year our focus was on listening, speaking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Our plan for next year is to cover the other skills. The rapid invasion of Artificial Intelligence into the teaching-learning process may hinder students development of essential human skills, therefore, we will exert more efforts to articulate the process through digital literacy to enhance skills. Training new staff and new students about the language of the Universal Framework and elements of the Global Accelerator Programme will begin at the start of the academic year. We will also spread more awareness of essential skills to the wider community, helping us to promote the language of the skills and work towards a Flagship award next year.
