To help school children cope with stress, the New Delhi public schools have added a new subject to their classes: “Happiness.” There are no exams, no notes, no homework.
On an early Saturday morning, the only noise in Kautilya Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya school in the south of New Dehli is that of the ceiling fan. Dozens of students are sitting on the chairs, with their hands resting on their knees and their eyes closed. “Relax your tensions, concentrate on your breathing, imagine that you are doing something that makes you happy,” explains Professor Akhilesh Chouhan.
In the next class, another teacher asks the students to give thanks for something. “My mother cooked my lunch with my favorite vegetable,” says Ankita, 11, “I’m grateful for that,” she adds.
High level of stress
These 45-minute “happiness classes” are designed so that the students feel relaxed, reflect on the positive things and can cope better with their daily life, there is no textbook, exams, or homework.
It is an initiative of the government of New Dehli, which launched the Dalai Lama, and is operating in the 1,000 public schools of the capital of India. The program consists of meditation, inspiring stories and activities. Around 50,000 teachers have been trained and about one million children are practicing every day in their classes.
It is, without doubt, a revolutionary project in a country known for its rigid educational system, which puts pressure on students to achieve good grades and encourages learning by heart. Many blame this school system for stress, anxiety, ruthless competition to access the best schools in the country and, as well as the rise of student suicides.
“We are generating doctors, engineers and accountants who are ambitious and competitive,” said C. Verma, director of the Kautilya Sarvoydaya Bal Vidyalaya school. “But are we thinking if this is how we produce decent, kind and kind human beings?” He asked.
School happiness manual.Reconstruction of chaotic schools
Many educators work with the government of New Delhi to reform the city government schools that, as in other parts of the country, have suffered for years from unstable infrastructure, poor education and neglect.
In recent years, the government led by the Aam Admi Party (Party of the Common Man) has increased spending on education, which now accounts for 26 percent of the capital’s budget for 2018. Experts have included a large amount of new ideas, such as special classes for children with learning disabilities, better facilities and the encouragement of parents to participate more in school issues. Happiness classes are part of that transformation.
“Our entire education system is geared towards obtaining high marks and passing exams, but it is not focused on encouraging students to think, to reflect on their own actions and on the impact they have on society,” said Atishi Marlena, ex-consultant government and a strong promoter of educational reforms in the capital.
Child meditating.The unhappiness of India
India is one of the least happy nations in the world: it is ranked 133 out of 155 countries in the 2018 World Happiness Report. The New Delhi experiment is inspired by the neighboring country, Bhutan. The small country of the Himalayas was a pioneer in using the Gross National Happiness index, at the beginning of the 70s, to measure its development as an alternative to the Gross Domestic Product indicator. In 2009, Bhutan introduced a “Happiness” curriculum. Since then, at least 12 countries, including Peru and Mexico, have experimented with similar classes in schools.
In New Delhi, happiness classes acquire an additional meaning. The majority of children in public schools come from poor economic backgrounds. Often, students come from unstructured, single-parent homes, with domestic violence or alcohol abuse.
“Do not worry, be happy”
Happiness classes started a month ago and changes can already be seen. “The goal is to make students more focused and committed,” teacher Akhilesh Yadav told DW. “I already notice that many students show more interest, many now come regularly to school and participate more,” he added. The walls of the school also carry inspiring messages from the Dalai Lama, among others: “I learned in the Happiness class to have more faith in myself and to enjoy school.”
Principal CS Verma said that this is just the beginning and that it will take time before the impact of happiness classes can be evaluated. However, he has a regret. “I really wish these Happiness classes had already been taught when I was in school,” he said with a laugh.
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August 15, 2018 at 01:25AM
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