Training of Trainers Workshop Endorses New Training Manual
2-5 August 2011 Beijing — A life skills training of trainers (ToT) workshop was held in Beijing for 33 participants from Anhui, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangsu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The purpose of the workshop was to review the new ToT program and manual developed by Ms. Chen Ying for CP TING.. The majority of participants were experienced life skills teachers well qualified to critique the ToT program and to validate the new manual. The comments and suggestions from participants were used to ensure the quality and relevance of the ToT manual and supporting teaching materials. The ToT program and materials will now be used to train over 200 middle and vocational school teachers in participatory teaching methods and life skills. The estimated number of students who will receive life skills instruction in school is over 50,000.
The CP-TING Project first used participatory life-skills training for middle school students in 2006 when it developed The Teacher Handbook and The Crossroads — Student Handbook. Topics included in life skills for students aged 12 to 15 provide important information and knowledge on safe migration, risks of trafficking, rights at work, financial management, gender equality, self-esteem and problem solving. Activities used in participatory teaching help build students’ capacity to deal with various problems they may face during adolescence and migration by improving self-protection awareness and skills to protect from risks of trafficking for labour exploitation.
In 2008, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) conducted an evaluation of the life-skills training in 2 project pilot middle schools and 2 non-pilot middle schools in Anhui province. The findings showed that awareness of life skills students regarding trafficking prevention and labour rights protection was much higher than those who did not receive life-skills. The study also revealed that participatory methods used to teach life skills increased students’ desire to continue in school.
