The age range for our students who took part in the programme was 3-15 years old (i.e. Pre-School to Year 9). During the planning stages of lessons, teachers, taking into consideration the skill levels of their students, made conscious efforts to create a room where students would express themselves, where students would listen, where students would be put into groups to work, and where students would be allowed to create their own scenarios or stories and much more during lessons.

Teachers used the steps from the Framework for each skill to assess the students. The assessments were usually done on a year group basis. On a few occasions, teachers assessed students during student meetings, extra-curricular activities and assemblies where students played the role of leaders and their colleagues were the audience. Generally, the idea of embedding the essential skills made planning and teaching more student-centred and the feedback from the assessment gave teachers a broader view of the strengths and weaknesses for review and restructuring.

It was quite easy to differentiate skill teaching for different students because our approach was to allow teachers to expose their students to the skills at their respective step levels. Teachers made time to explain the skills to their students, using the language they understood best at the various levels. Because assessments were done at class or year group levels, it also allowed teachers to follow closely to see improvements (or not) of their learners.

As mentioned earlier on, teachers took into consideration the skills during the planning stages of lesson preparation so this allowed teachers to frame their questions, assignments and project works in a way that would afford students the opportunity to practise what they were being exposed to (i.e. the essential skills). Extra-curricular activities were also organised and tailored purposely to bring together all the year groups and allow them to exhibit the skills. As a plus, these strategies also afforded teachers the opportunity to assess and review.

Fortunately for us, our school serves the high, middle and low classes of the region due to its academic records and geographical location. What this means is that we have some of our students who are able to go to the offices and residential areas where their parents work or live. We also have some of our students who go to the markets and commercial areas where their parents work. Finally, we also have some of our students who go back to our host community which has a high percentage of the region’s locals. Teachers discuss with the students which skills they are going to apply through their community experiences. The students, having understood the concept of the skills and the need for everyone to at least have an idea about the skills, act as the intermediaries between the school and the community. They have been tasked to project the school using the skills and so far the school administration and teachers are receiving good feedback.