Delhi, colloquially called ‘thugnagri’, with its centre of political power and shrewd citizens will not get adequate dosage of happiness. Usually in news for all the wrong reasons, from highest polluted city to protesting Chief Minister and rebellious JNU students, to issues of women safety, Delhi is finding a happy spot.
Students in Delhi government-run schools will now get lessons on being ‘happy’ with the AAP dispensation planning to introduce a “happiness curriculum” for nursery to class 8 from upcoming academic session. The curriculum will be taught to around eight lakh students.
At a time when the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is busy changing course curriculums with an aim to rewrite history, Arvind Kejriwal has shown what our education system lacks and how to fix it. Kejriwa, often the butt of jokes, is now on a mission to spread his own mode of happiness.
The programme will include meditation, moral values and mental exercises with an aim to produce versatile professionals and human beings who could serve the society with happiness’.
The idea to introduce the curriculum in Delhi government schools originated when deputy CM Manish Sisodia visited Harvard University and saw how the institution was running happiness courses. Work on preparing the plan started in January this year with the involvement of about 40 experts.
The entire programme will be activity-based, with no formal exams. A periodic assessment of the children’s progress will be made using a ‘Happiness Index’.
Since 2014, over 26,000 students killed themselves, which roughly translates into a student taking his or her own life every hour. While Modi is writing books such as Exam Warriors about how to face exams, Kejriwal is trying to let students learn how to enjoy life.
Image Credit: dalailama
The course was launched by Dalai Lama in Delhi today. At a time when neighbouring Bhutan is formulating policies to ensure a high Happiness Index for its citizens, introduction of happiness curriculum in schools will help enhance personality of children and influence the direction in which we are heading as a society and nation
This is a positive move, and should be applauded for what it is, beyond narrow political narratives.
