Bursting School Stress With Happiness Classes

New Delhi: Delhi’s students are finally finding happiness in schools. Rohan Rai, 10, is not stressed any longer by the thought of seeing his teacher after going through the morning assembly routine at this government school in central Delhi. In fact, Rohan and his classmates are thrilled and excited to be in the classroom. They no more begin their day by scratching their heads to solve sums or struggling to get the grammar right. Instead, they relax and meditate in what is termed as the “Happiness Class”, introduced in Delhi’s government schools last year.

A typical Happiness Class starts with students rubbing their hands and putting them on the eyes to relax. A little bit of meditation follows. Children are themselves feeling the sounds of their surroundings. At peace with themselves, they then go into discussions and exchange their own ideas about anything under the sun. The 45 minutes pass with happy faces all around — and it is now time to take out books.

“Initially, I thought this will be a new subject. However, this turned out to be an interesting session where we not only do meditation and listen to stories but also take part in various activities,” said the Class 6 student. The Happiness Curriculum of the Delhi government is helping students to change their attitude towards studies. According to Rohan, during the Happiness Class, the students focus on things they would otherwise skip. “We meditate and focus on sounds — like our heartbeat and sounds in nature,” he said.

“The period begins with a few minutes of mindfulness practice, followed by a story or activity and reflective discussions. Each one of us is given a chance to reflect and express our thoughts about the story or activity. “We are asked to draw or write about whatever we are feeling or like. We are also asked to spend time with our friends and family and express our emotions to them.”

Students indulge in joyful exercises, indoor games, active enquiry, reflective conversations, storytelling, guided practices for mindfulness, group discussions and situation based role-play and skits. The new and unique curriculum was launched by Delhi Education Minister 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. (IANS)

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