British school offer lessons in happiness

Britain?s schools will offer classes on happiness to combat the malaise in society caused by materialism and celebrity obsession.

One of Britain’s leading schools is to offer classes on happiness to combat the malaise in society caused by materialism and celebrity obsession. “We are introducing classes on happiness,” said Anthony Seldon, a master at Wellington College, in west London.

“We have been focussing too much on academics and missing something far more important.” A psychologist will oversee a pilot project teaching “happiness lessons” — or “well-being” as it is being called — from the start of the next academic year.

Pupils aged 14 to 16 will be given one lesson a week, learning skills such as how to manage relationships, physical and mental health, negative emotions and how to achieve one’s ambitions.

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The college’s religious education (RE) staff will teach the course as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, conventional classes.