Latest news with #HappinessCurriculum
India Today
19-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Science of Living vs Happiness Curriculum: What's really changed in Delhi schools?
Delhi's government schools are witnessing a significant shift in their approach to student emotional well-being and life skills education. The much-talked-about Happiness Curriculum is making way for the Science of Living -- a more comprehensive framework that educators are calling a timely upgrade for the digital transition from the Happiness Curriculum to the Science of Living represents more than just a name change. According to Dr. Alka Kapur, Principal of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, the Science of Living is "a more holistic upgrade to the Happiness Curriculum". She emphasises that this new approach addresses the real challenges students face today, particularly in our hyper-digital isn't about just making the students feel happy for a while, but about equipping them with life tools for emotional equilibrium, better interpersonal skills, and increased concentration," explains Dr. CURRICULUM FROM AUGUST From August, classrooms in Delhi's government schools will start to look and feel different. Along with regular subjects like maths and grammar, students will now learn how to breathe deeply, take care of older people, and spend less time on Delhi government announced this new change on June 5, 2025, as part of a new programme called the Science of Living. It brings a fresh way of teaching that focuses not just on studies, but also on helping students become more balanced and programme is based on ancient Indian ideas like panch kosha (which talks about five parts of a person – body, mind, energy, wisdom, and joy) and panch tantra stories. It also includes important life skills that students need in today's will take part in yoga, meditation, and mindfulness exercises. They will also learn how to handle their emotions, understand right and wrong, and show care for others. The aim is to help students grow into calm, kind, and thoughtful individuals, ready to face life with are a few key differences in the two curricula:Happiness curriculum: Primarily centred on creating moments of joy and basic emotional awarenessScience of Living: Addresses specific modern challenges like screen dependency, emotional fatigue, and heightened stress levelsSanamdeep Chadha, Education Reformist and Director of Genesis Global School, Noida, highlights a crucial distinction: "Compared to the Happiness Curriculum, it offers deeper structure and greater potential for lasting internalisation of values".SCIENCE OF LIVING CURRICULUMThe Science of Living curriculum incorporates:Digital detox practicesMindfulness and meditation techniquesValue-driven discussionsEmotional regulation strategiesMind-body connection through yogic practicesThe new approach promises a few tangible benefits:Reduced student anxiety through meditation and yoga practicesImproved classroom focus via digital detox and mindfulnessBetter interpersonal relationships through emotional regulationEnhanced academic performance as a natural outcome of improved mental DIGITAL AGE CHALLENGESOne of the most significant upgrades is the new curriculum's focus on digital wellness. The Science of Living specifically tackles issues that weren't as prevalent when the Happiness Curriculum was introduced, such as:advertisementScreen dependency managementDigital detox practices that provide mental reset and reduce stressImproved focus through reduced constant screen exposure"Digital detox, yoga, and meditation offer students the mental clarity and emotional balance they often lack in a hyper-digital world," notes Dr. the most profound shift is philosophical. Sanamdeep Chadha explains that the Science of Living "shifts focus from achievement to meaning, encouraging students to ask not just how to succeed, but why". This represents a fundamental change in how schools approach student new curriculum integrates essential human values - empathy, compassion, and responsibility - into everyday learning, creating what educators describe as more "life-relevant education".PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONBoth educators emphasise that implementing the practices under the Science of Living curriculum doesn't require overhauling the academic schedule. Instead, they suggest:Starting the day with mindful breathing exercisesIncorporating reflection circles into daily routinesWeaving value-based conversations into regular classroom discussionsUsing existing co-scholastic activities as platforms for emotional learningBut proper implementation needs the right faculty and adequate teacher training."Empowering teachers is key," states Chadha. "When educators are equipped with the mindset and tools to model emotional awareness, even small shifts can transform school culture".advertisementCUSTOMISATION FOR DIVERSE NEEDSPrivate schools are finding ways to adapt the Science of Living framework while maintaining its core philosophy. Dr Kapur suggests that schools can "customise the framework by blending it with their existing life skills programmes, creating modules that reflect the unique challenges their students face".This curriculum shift reflects a broader understanding of education's role in the 21st century."Schools are not just centres of academic growth -- they're foundations for shaping emotionally resilient and socially responsible individuals," says Samandeep Science of Living curriculum acknowledges that in today's world, knowledge alone isn't sufficient. Students need to manage stress, adapt to change, collaborate with empathy, and make ethical choices - skills that are best nurtured within the school transition from Happiness Curriculum to Science of Living represents a maturation in how we approach student well-being. It moves beyond creating temporary happiness to building lasting resilience, from surface-level contentment to deep-rooted life schools continue to implement this new framework, the focus remains clear: preparing students not just for academic success, but for a meaningful, balanced, and emotionally intelligent life in an increasingly complex early feedback from educators suggests that this evolution is both necessary and timely -- a recognition that true education must nurture the whole human being, not just the Watch
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
What's in new ‘Happiness Curriculum' for Madhya Pradesh school students
What does true happiness entail? Students in Madhya Pradesh are all set to find out, as the state government gears up to introduce the 'Happiness Curriculum' for Classes 9-12 in the upcoming academic session. The state's Rajya Anand Sansthan (Happiness Department) chief Satya Prakash Arya told The Indian Express: 'This initiative aims to foster emotional well-being, ethical thinking, and holistic living among students. We ran this project on a pilot basis the last two years in 450 schools and now plan on implementing it around 9,000 schools'. The curriculum, accessed by The Indian Express, draws heavily on a framework that emphasises understanding happiness beyond material success, developing self-awareness, and cultivating harmony in relationships with oneself, family, society, and nature through activity-based learning. The Happiness Curriculum for Class 9 comprises 11 chapters and begins with an exploration of happiness as a holistic experience, using storytelling, group discussions, and reflection to teach students that happiness transcends material aspects and requires ethical thinking for holistic living. The curriculum also focuses on self-awareness, encouraging students to observe their thoughts, feelings, and actions through introspection and group activities to achieve clarity and alignment in their behaviour. For Class 10, the curriculum includes 11 chapters, of which some of the notable inclusions are on self-awareness to deepen understanding, guiding students to observe their thoughts, desires, feelings, and actions through introspection. It also addresses the misconception of viewing humans as merely physical, teaching that true harmony requires fulfilling both the self's and body's needs appropriately. The Class 11 curriculum, including 11 core chapters, introduces harmony in family relationships, focusing on values like love, care, and gratitude. It also contains chapters that 'deepens the understanding of happiness and prosperity', critiquing misconceptions (e.g., happiness from material facilities or others' approval). The Class 12 curriculum contains 16 chapters that introduces nature as a collection of conscious and material units, categorised into four orders (material, plant, animal, human), with the first three being complementary to humans. The chapters explore 'existence as coexistence, teaching that all units are immersed in space, inherently harmonious, and interconnected'. The curriculum will be mandatory for all streams in Classes 9 to 12, with no formal examinations, focusing on process-oriented learning through activities like mindfulness exercises, reflective storytelling, and group discussions. Explaining the course work, Arya said: 'It teaches students that happiness is not just about resource gathering or achieving milestones. All paths—whether academic, personal, or professional—lead to happiness. We want students to understand that happiness is the ultimate goal.' The course, she said, was designed to address four key dimensions: self, family, society, and nature. Students are guided to explore their inner selves, understanding that they are more than just their physical bodies—they are a tapestry of emotions, thoughts, and aspirations, she said. 'We teach gratitude, health, and self-realisation,' Arya noted. 'We help students see that happiness comes from within, not from external achievements alone.' Students, according to officials, have displayed noticeable behavioural changes. 'Discipline, participation, and overall focus have improved,' Arya said. 'Attendance has gone up, and students have started enjoying the course. Parents have told us that their children are helping out at home more and sibling rivalry has reduced. These are early signs, but they're promising.' The pilot phase wasn't without challenges. Integrating a new subject into an already packed school syllabus was no small feat. 'Coordinating with teachers and preparing them to deliver this curriculum was difficult,' Arya admitted. 'Their focus is often on finishing the academic syllabus and preparing for exams. But we utilized summer vacations to train them, and once they understood the course, their effective teaching time improved.' To scale the programme, the state is investing heavily in teacher training. In May 2025, 14 workshops will train 3,000 teachers, with a goal to prepare 4,000 educators to lead Anand Classes (happiness periods) in government schools.
