Delhi schools’ happiness classes are busters of stress

Vinod Kakumanu
July 31, 2019, 7:14 p.m.

Delhi schools have apparently find the way to dispel stress in children with the aid of what are aptly called Happiness Class. The anatomy of a typical happiness class contain simple playful exercises including rubbing of hands and putting them on the eyes to relax, motivational talks and meditation.

The classes are conducted as per the “Happiness Curriculum” of the Delhi government which has been devised to change the attitude of students towards studies.

The new and unique curriculum was launched by Delhi Education Minister, Manish Sisodia with an aim to develop self-awareness and mindfulness amongst students.

“Its aim was to inculcate the skill of critical thinking and inquiry among the students,” said an Education Department official.

The raison de etre of the curriculum lies in number of researches that have shed light on the state of mind of the students undergoing the rigors of modern education.

According to a research centered on the suicide incidents in India, the factors that contribute to the incidences of self-harm are not merely confined to the challenges of learning and achieving, but also family disturbances, peer conflicts, socio-cultural influx. Changes in physical and mental disposition also has a bearing on the stress levels of the children.

The research cites that as many as 26 suicides occur every 24 hours which are connected with drug abuse, fractured families, peer conflict and break-ups.

It is established that prolonged exposure to emotional stresses retards learning and development in a child and can lead to long term physiological and emotional discrepancies.

According to the Delhi government, the Happiness Curriculum Framework was designed in accord with the guidelines given by the National Curriculum Framework (NCERT, 2005).

Across Delhi, over 10 lakh students between Class 1 and 8 and about 50,000 teachers share the 45-minute Happiness class.

It is mentionable that within a year of its origination, the Happiness Curriculum has found attention across the country and even abroad.

Notably, Afghanistan’s Acting Education Minister Mohammad Mirwais Balkhi attended one such Happiness Class last year. Visibly pleased, he said that he wished to have a similar concept in his country.

Education Ministers and officials from different Indian states have attended the Happiness classes and one can hope that they will be replicated across the country.