Consultancy to Provide Technical Expertise to Integrate Life Skills into National Curriculum

 

Consultancy Title: International Consultant to Provide Technical Expertise to Integrate Life Skills into National Curriculum of Maldives

Type of Contract: Individual Contract

Location: Male', Maldives

Application Deadline: 19 th December 2012 (by 12:00hrs)

Duration of Initial Contract: 3 weeks approximately (around Jan - Feb 2013)

Organisational Context and Background

UNODC in partnership with the Government of Maldives is supporting a European Commission (EU) funded project titled "Strengthening the national response to drug use in the Maldives" (MDV K30).

Ministry of Education is one of the key partners of this project. The Maldivian school curriculum is in the process of significant reform. The emphasis is on providing a holistic education for all children to make them successful and motivated learners who are confident and competent, believing in their own capabilities; while they become responsible and productive contributors to their own family and society.

The National Institute of Education (NIE), the division of Ministry of Education responsible for developing the National Curriculum for K-12 Maldivian schools, recognizes the need to integrate elements of life skills education into the curriculum, to achieve the overall objectives of the curricular reform.  The wide ranging, cross cutting key competencies identified by NIE have several direct links to life skills education. These include the key competencies of understanding and managing self, thinking critically and creatively, relating to people, and living a healthy lifestyle.

Research indicates that young people need the necessary skills and learning to withstand peer pressure from friends, resist initiation of drugs, divert from risky behaviour, make informed decisions and overall lead a healthy and positive life. Building competency of children, adolescents and youth through life skills is a recommended primary prevention strategy of positive development.

UNODC will support NIE in integration of life skills education in to the curriculum through two processes: (1) training the NIE team in LSE, and (2) technical support through international consultant during the curriculum integration process. First part was successfully completed in November 2012.

For the current consultancy, UNODC is seeking an international consultant to provide technical expertise to integrate crucial elements of life skills into the national curriculum.

General Objectives

The overall aim is to provide technical support to integrate crucial elements of life skills into the national curriculum. The specific objective of this:

  • Guide NIE in integrating life skills education into the National Curriculum of the Maldives and particularly in relation to the different subject syllabi across the key learning areas.
  • Advice NIE on how life skills education can be addressed in various ways and at various levels (i.e. across the different key stages) in the teaching/ learning materials provided to schools (i.e. textbooks and teachers' resources) and also in classroom practice.

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of UNODC Maldives Project Coordinator and with technical guidance and oversight provided by the UNODC Programme Office Maldives, the incumbent should carry out the following outlined tasks:

  • Review  and carryout a mapping exercise of the  current documents related to national curriculum ( e.g., National Curriculum Framework, Key Competency Guide, Pedagogy and Assessment Guide, Subject Syllabi)  to identify the extent to which life skills  components are addressed, identify likely gaps and ways to minimize this.
  • Provide technical assistance on identifying ways to incorporate components of life skills into national curriculum (either through Syllabi, Instructional Materials, Support materials etc).
  • Plan and conduct 5 day training to the curriculum team on how life skills components/Key competencies in the national curriculum can be addressed in teaching/learning at various key stages and across various key learning areas.

Details of the tasks and additional information relating to the consultancy as well as competency and qualifications requirement can be downloaded from http://www.undp.org.mv

Application Procedure

Applications should be submitted by 12:00hrs, 19 th December 2012 by email to shuhad.ibrahim@unodc.org OR forwarded under confidential cover to the "UNODC, UN Building, Male', Maldives" with the following:

  • Letter of expression of interest, and proposal (a financial proposal and a brief description of the process)
  • CV
  • Recommendation Letters, Copies of tertiary level academic certificates
  • Copy of National ID card OR Passport
  • Completed P11 forms - P11 forms can be downloaded from http://www.undp.org.mv.

Only complete applications (with signed P11 forms) will be accepted, and interviews will be granted only to short- listed candidates. The organization will only be able to respond to those applicants in whom there is further interest.

Click here to download the Terms of Reference

Click here to download the P11 form