When students in Delhi, India, returned to school from summer break, they learned they had a new required class. Mastering it is crucial to their success—but there are no textbooks, and they’ll never be graded.
What are they studying? Happiness! It may sound like an odd course to take in school, but officials in the South Asian nation say it’s needed to help improve students’ well-being.
India is known for having a demanding education system. As the nation’s economy grew in recent years, skilled labor was in high demand. Past governments encouraged a rigid focus on academics to prepare students for the workforce.
But cramming for test after test has taken its toll on students. One in four Indian children ages 13 to 15 struggle with depression because of academic pressure, experts say.
The happiness classes are meant to help students de-stress. Currently, about 1 million kids are enrolled in the course.
During the lessons, teachers lead students in meditation, storytelling, and other activities designed to reduce stress.
“I’m learning that you should have faith in yourself,” says Dipanshu Kumar, a Delhi eighth-grader taking the happiness class. “And that those who try never fail.”