Happiness Classes Curriculum – Introduction and Need

Happiness Classes Curriculum – Introduction and Need

Happiness Classes and Happiness Curriculum – Brief Overview and Why Happiness Classes are important. By Dr. R. Singh Director https://www.teachingcare.com/ Online Classes. Happiness Curriculum is an educational program for children in grades one to eight in schools run by the Government of Delhi since July 2018. The objective is to improve the mental well-being of pupils, and it teaches mindfulness, social-emotional learning, critical thinking, problem solving, and relationship building. Its purpose is to build emotional awareness, to support decision making with that emotional awareness, to equip pupils with the necessary skills and environment to become purpose-driven, and explore a nuanced idea of happiness. The introduction of the curriculum into government schools of Delhi has been called a reformative step towards school education in India. The idea for the curriculum was laid out by Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who is also the education minister of the state. It was developed with the help of government experts and the State Council of Educational Research and Training. The curriculum is mostly based on the “Happiness Triad” concept of philosopher Agrahar Nagraj Sarman. Taking inspiration from the curriculum, Indian states Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and Afghanistan, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates are preparing to implement similar programs. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent nationwide lockdown in India, the curriculum is being delivered to pupils and their parents via interactive voice response calls and live YouTube classes. Guiding questions- A student defining “Happiness” during a Happiness Class The curriculum employs techniques such as mindfulness, reflective stories, interactive activities, and expression to equip pupils with the necessary skills and mindsets to answer the following questions: What makes me happy? How can I be an instrument in other people’s happiness? Teachers use a manual to help pupils explore these questions, whose aim is to enable them to understand the relationship between their thoughts, emotions and themselves, their families, their environment and the society at large. The learning outcomes of the curriculum are awareness and focus, critical thinking and reflection, social-emotional skills, and a confident and pleasant personality. Syllabus and classroom approach- Framework document of Happiness Curriculum, published by the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Delhi The Government of Delhi has established a committee with 200 mentors to manage the curriculum’s classes in its schools. The curriculum for all the grades is activity-based with no formal examination or textual reading material. No grades are given; assessments are predominantly qualitative. The curriculum’s modules are progressive: pupils explore themes more in depth as they move to higher grades. There are separate activities, stories, expressions, reflective questions and mindfulness activities for each grade from nursery to eight. Lessons include learning to be aware of one’s emotions in nursery and understanding the purpose of one’s body and one’s self in grade eight. Impact on Students: Better relationship with teachers, increased participation inside the classroom and increased focus and mindfulness among students. Impact on Teachers: Priorities values over academic success, changing teaching orientation and increased collaboration among teachers. Response to COVID-19 pandemic- On 5 March 2020, the Government of Delhi issued orders to shut all of its primary schools to tackle the spread of COVID-19. This order was later extended to all educational institutions in the state. On 25 March, the Government of India announced a nationwide lockdown, and with increased stress and anxiety during the lockdown, delivery and execution of the Happiness Curriculum was taken to homes. Each parent received interactive voice response calls to guide them with “Happiness” activities, stories, and mindfulness practices.

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