Happiness Curriculum — An Experiment for Happier Citizens
For many years, Indian students have been facing a mental health crisis. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (2015), a student commits suicide every hour in India. According to the World Happiness Report 2017, India is among the world’s least happy nations and ranked 122 among 155 countries in the global ranking, and further slipped to 133 among 155 countries in the World Happiness Report of 2018.
Given this alarming situation, In 2018, the Government of New Delhi introduced a radical new program for its schools — The Happiness Curriculum. Led by Education Minister Manish Sisodia, the Curriculum has introduced a 45-minute weekly session on mindfulness, meditation, and moral values along with other social and emotional learning. The Delhi government believes that this Curriculum will help students alleviate mental stress and become happier, healthier individuals.
Global Context
This Curriculum also comes at a time when there is an increasing global focus on mental health and happiness. The Sustainable Development Goals list ‘mental health and well-being’ as one of the targets of Goal 3 — Good health and well-being. In education, the concept of positive teaching based on positive psychology has gained prominence in the past decade. Dr. Ilona Boniwell, one of the foremost thinkers on positive education writes, “Positive education aims to develop the skills of well-being, flourishing and optimal functioning in children, teenagers and students, as well as parents, teachers and, more generally, educational institutions.” Dr. Boniwell and Dr. Lucy Ryan have developed a curriculum on personal wellness for students that is being implemented in UK, France, Australia and Japan.
Bhutan was one of the first countries to recognize this need and introduced a ‘happiness-infused’ curriculum in 2009. Till date, at least 12 other countries including Mexico and Peru, have experimented with similar programs. Delhi was the first state government in India to launch a full-fledged happiness curriculum in 2018 and since then 4 more state governments (Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry and Nagaland) have agreed to replicate the Curriculum in their schools.
Political Context
It would also be pertinent to note the political influences on the development of the Happiness Curriculum. New Delhi is in a unique political situation and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is currently in power, and public education is one of the only aspects under its control. The government increased the education budget to 26% of the total budget or approx. INR 14,000 Cr., which has allowed for experiments such as the Happiness Curriculum to flourish. The young party has a point to prove in this term, especially since it has been at loggerheads with the Central Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led government since the beginning. AAP is hoping that their impact on the Delhi education system might give them an edge in the political landscape.
Influences on the Happiness Curriculum
The Curriculum is designed on the principle of the ‘Happiness Triad’ proposed by philosopher A. Nagraj which considers three components of happiness — momentary happiness, deeper happiness, and sustainable happiness. The Curriculum has been designed along these three main sections for children in Nursery till Grade 8.
The Curriculum has also been designed following the guiding principles given by the National Curriculum Framework 2005. Indirectly, thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi and J. Krishnamurti have also influenced the Curriculum. Manish Sisodia, who spear-headed the design, is a fan of Mahatma Gandhi, which is evident since Mahatma Gandhi is quoted twice in the framework document. Atishi Marlena, who was also instrumental in designing the Happiness Curriculum, has previously taught at the Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh and was involved in progressive education systems.
Mental Health and Contemporary Thinkers
The 21st century has seen a rise in conversations about mental health and happiness. Many contemporary thinkers in the field of education have emphasized the need for social and emotional learning.
In 2016, Anil Pradhan started the International Public School for Rural Innovation — a free school in Baral Village, Odisha which focuses on skill development and STEM education. Along with the strong focus on technology and innovation, Anil ensures that the school holds 10-minute yoga, meditation and physical training sessions every day.
Another contemporary thinker, Shalini Menon (Associate Director, Educator Development, Quest Alliance) says, “Young people are actually potential waiting to happen, and for that potential to take shape, to grow and feel nurtured and contribute to the world, they have to feel heard.”
Magsaysay Award winner Sonam Wangchuk (Founder, Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh) has also emphasized the importance of student mental health when he attended one of the happiness sessions conducted in a Delhi government school.
Mental Health and National Policies
The growing concerns of student mental health have also influenced 21st century educational policies in India. The advent of the no-detention policy and Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) systems, is a testament to the need for reducing mental stress for students in India. More recently, the draft National Education Policy of 2019 makes special mention of student mental health throughout the policy.
Conclusion
The Happiness Curriculum is a response to the current social and political context of the country. It has been influenced by various thinkers, policies, and experiments over the years. While the impact of the Curriculum is hard to gauge at this stage, it has definitely sparked a national conversation about mental health and happiness in education.
