Education
Delhi Municipal Schools get their Happiness classes
On Monday, officials said that the extension of the Delhi government’s flagship Happiness Curriculum to MCD schools is being discussed and planned actively.
On Monday, officials said that the extension of the Delhi government’s flagship Happiness Curriculum to MCD schools is being discussed and planned actively. In the third meeting of the State Advisory Council, the matter was discussed. The State Advisory Council advises the government on the implementation of the provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
“The proposal to extend Happiness Curriculum to municipal schools was discussed in the meeting. Officials from the corporations have given a positive response and it should be done soon,” the Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said.
The education department has been open to incorporating the curriculum. They believe that the process will take some time as the discussion stands at a preliminary stage.
An official of the education department, North Corporation told “The matter has just been discussed… We do not really know what ‘Happiness Curriculum’ is. It is only something that we have heard and read about in a scattered way. For now, we will work on familiarising ourselves with books and other curriculum material, and how it is being taught in classrooms. No detailed programme on its implementation has come from the government’s side,”
While an official in the East body added “The discussion with the education director yielded the suggestion that teams from our corporations visit a few Delhi government schools to see how the curriculum is being implemented there and what it entails. Following that, we can develop a workable methodology based on what content and how much of it can be incorporated. Since children in our schools are only from nursery to class V, we have to adapt it to age-appropriateness.”
The classes in the Happiness curriculum involve mindfulness, storytelling and several interactive activities between teachers and students. The positive initiative was launched in Delhi government schools in July 2018 to promote mental well-being and “human-centric education”.
Sanjay Goel, Director of Education said that the directorate will “handhold” schools through the implementation process once in-principle approval is received from the municipal bodies.