Govt school kids turn teachers for a day, take ‘happiness classes’

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New Delhi: On the eve of Children’s Day, students of Delhi government schools turned teachers during a special happiness class held on Friday morning attended by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

The event began with students leading a session of mindfulness, followed by storytelling session. Though the classes were conducted in an online mode, the education minister discussed the impact of happiness classes on the well-being of children, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Happiness Class is a new and unique curriculum launched by the state government in 2018 to develop self-awareness and mindfulness among students. In April, the government had announced online happiness classes for students to cope with the stress induced by the Covid-19 crisis.

“...Our students have now become teachers of the happiness curriculum, by engaging their family members, and even their friends, spreading the message of the class in their own unique way,” Sisodia said.

Students shared their experience of attending happiness classes during the pandemic. Harshita Rawat, who studies in a government school in West Vinod Nagar, said the online happiness classes taught her that eventually the phase of staying home would end and she would meet her friends.

“We slowly learnt how to let go of any stress, or anxiety, we were holding in. The stories that we engage with in our classes teach us how to develop a more positive outlook in life,” said another student Gurmeet Dhanjal.