Happy hour: No textbooks, no homework and no grades in this class

The first period—happiness class — at Kautilya Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in south Delhi’s Chirag Enclave has just begun. After a few minutes, the teacher tells them to open their eyes and asks, ‘What sounds did you hear?’ A boy says, “I heard the whir of the fan.” Another tells the teacher, “I heard the fan, as well as the sound of your movements.” Then a girl stands up, “I heard the sound of my breathing.” This makes the teacher happy and he is all praise for her ‘concentration.’ Happiness class has a different topic every day and today, a Tuesday, is a storytelling and discussion day. Designed by a team of Delhi government teachers, educators, psychologists, volunteers, among others, the curriculum is being taught to about 10 lakh students in over 1,000 Delhi government schools across Delhi, where there is a 45-minute “happiness class”, usually the first period in most schools, daily for children in classes 1 to 8. The handbook for happiness for Class 6 to 8 is divided into four sections: ‘Mindfulness’, which includes mindful listening, sensory awareness, among others ; ‘Storytelling,’ which includes 20 stories, each story with its objective clearly spelt out on top of the page; ‘Activities’ aimed at teaching the meaning of happiness, competence; and ‘expression.’ About 1,000 students at Kautilya Bal Vidyalaya in Chirag Enclave have been attending the class since it was introduced in the school on July 12. “It was hard to get the children interested in the happiness class initially, but now they actively participate in the class,” says Kumar.