Soft Skills

Soft skills are the other nonacademic skills students acquire to help them succeed in life. They often include social emotional skills, critical thinking skills, and skills that facilitate positive interactions with others and the ability to overcome challenges. The study sought to determine how those involved in our children’s education felt students were being prepared for their future. It attempted to establish what skills children will need to be successful, and how schools should go about assessing whether or not those needs were being met.

Some of the soft skills noted in the survey included :

  • [a] - The ability to apply what they [students] have learned in school to real-world situations.
  • [b] - Problem - Solving skills.
  • [c] - Critical - Thinking skills.
  • [d] - Teamwork (The ability to work well with others.)
  • [e] - The ability to view issues or problems from different perspectives.

Language and Communication Skills

Communication and language development is about more than talking. It means all the different ways a student understands and communicates, only part of which are spoken words. Communication and language development is important, because speaking is an indicator of fine motor skill development and a reflection of cognitive development. Reading is one of the best ways to encourage communication and language development. As an infant, hearing words and seeing pictures helps a student understand the two are connected. This lays a foundation for speech, which begins around nine months and typically increases as a student grows.

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person or group to another.

Categories of Communication :

There are a wide range of ways in which we communicate and more than one may be occurring at any given time.

  • (a) - Spoken or Verbal Communication.
  • (b) - Non - Verbal Communication.
  • (c) - Written Communication.
  • (d) - Visualizations.

Life Skills (Yoga, Physical Fitness, Health and Hygiene)

Yoga is a way of a better living. It ensures great or efficiency in work, and a better control over mind and emotions. Through yoga one can achieve both physical and mental harmony.

Health is the greatest blessing of all. Health is not just the absence of disease. To enable the individuals to lead a life of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Physical Education may provide the right direction and needed actions to improve the health of members of any community, society, nation and the world as a whole. An educational system encompassing the mental, emotional, social and physical dimensions of health becomes imperative to bring about all around development in children.

Yoga teaches the following Life skills :

  • (a) - Focus
  • (b) - Stillness
  • (c) - Stress Management

ICT / Computing Skills

ICT stands for 'Information Communication Technology'. Everyday usage of digital technology includes when you use a computer, tablet or mobile phone, send email, browse the internet, make a video call - these are all examples of using basic ICT skills and technology to communicate.

Studying ICT (Computing Science) at third level means you will develop more advanced skills and knowledge. You will deepen your knowledge of technology and how it works. You will learn practical skills like coding / programming and gain a theoretical understanding of topics like computer science and web development.

ICT skills are about understanding and applying a range of computer programmes, software and other applications. These include: word processing, spreadsheets, databases, power points and search engines. In additional to technical skills, associated skills include creativity and analytical skills to apply the right ICT skill to an activity. Basic ICT skills are required in any position.

Main attributes include :

  • (a) - The ability to use computer operating systems, to access software programmes and manage the basic functions of a computer.
  • (b) - Being able to confidently use core computer programmes to produce common digital information such as Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.
  • (c) - Organise and analyse information with the help of computer spreadsheet and database software.
  • (d) - The ability to communicate and interact with other ICT users through the use of internet and email.
  • (e) - Create and engage with digital information for a specific task.