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Why do schools need to teach happiness?

2/15/2015

12 Comments

 
In a major report this week, former UK ministers and Government advisers are calling for radical changes in the way British pupils are brought up. Figures in the number of children receiving counseling has tripled over the last year. Advisers recommend children of all ages should be given an hour’s happiness lesson every week to nurture their development.

What's the world coming to when children can't find their own happiness? Schools have been charged with being exam factories rather than teaching their pupils in the normal backdrop of life.

This didn't happen in the fifties in Australia. I'm going back to my early years in this post today. The main entertainment consisted of reading comics and listening to the radio.
PictureReading comics - museumvictoria.com.au
In January 1951, I had reached nine years of age. I looked forward to my double figures years, after which I'd become a teenager. I attended Hawkesburn Primary School, a short walk away from our home in Sussux Street, Prahran. Laughter, games and shouting filled the playground during breaks. I'd take my younger sisters for a long, boring walk to Como Park sometimes on the weekend. Dressed in sweet little dresses with white collars and full skirts, sometimes covered with a coat if it was cold, we'd spread a blanket over the grass, to roll around in play. Nothing much happened there until I caught the glance of some boys nearby. That's when I knew I was growing up. I didn't do very well in the classroom, preferring to gaze outside and dream of my future life, where I'd be a beautiful woman, and maybe a ballerina.

At the age of ten in 1952, I found maths difficult at school. Times tables posed a problem. We had to learn them by route, and would often recite them out loud in class. But I couldn't grasp the answer if asked. However, I loved English and art. As long as I was good at something, I felt happy and at ease with myself. 

PictureJoey - www.heraldsun.com.au
By the age of eleven in 1953, I played outside on the street with local children. We rode our bikes or played hop scotch, jumping on one leg between lines of chalk drawn on the pavement. Our arena at the back of the house consisted of the lavatory to the left, a small patch of grass, a giant apricot tree which we'd climb to survey all the adjoining yards, and a shed in one corner. There, we'd mix potions, mainly mud, grass, weeds and water, and try to convince my youngest sister to taste the result. I'm sorry, Robyn.

I took lessons at the Royal Ballet Company in nearby Melbourne. Being tall for my age, always a head above most other students the same age, my career could never develop in that direction because I would be too tall to dance with a partner. Also, my big toe protruded above the other toes, which made standing on point difficult, often resulting in cramp. And so, the beautiful swan bowed gracefully and left the stage at about twelve years.

Sometimes, I'd organize shows in our back yard with chairs set on the path beside the house, all facing the grassed stage. I'd usually recite Little Arabella, which went like this:
Little Arabella had a big umbrella. But one night alas, she left it on the grass. Nine o'clock next day, when she went that way. Blue eyes opened wide, when she saw inside. Little elves with wings, darling little things. Round and fat and jolly. Underneath the brolly.

I'd act it up with all the movements and pronunciations to get the greatest reaction. That's the thing about children—they don't mind repetition. My friends must have heard the poem many times before. We didn't need 'happiness classes.' The world stretched before us with unlimited possibilities.

Did you need happiness classes?


12 Comments
Mike Gardner - The Time Doctor link
2/14/2015 07:28:13 pm

I have to say the thought of happiness classes at school makes me giggle, most children don't want to be there and neither do most teachers, positivity and happiness has to come from parents

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Mary Burris link
2/14/2015 08:16:21 pm

I think they should teach social skills to these children. Many have forgotten how to PLAY amongst themselves. It's all online or very small doses of actual human interaction.

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Amy link
2/14/2015 08:19:29 pm

Francene, the only times I remember being sad about my life during my childhood was during the long school day. So, ironically, maybe the best way to help these children be happier is to let them out of school an hour earlier, rather than tack on another hour for a "happiness lesson." This ridiculous idea came from a person who has forgotten what it was like to be a child.

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Ajay Pai link
2/14/2015 09:24:13 pm

It's such a coincidence. Today I had written about happiness as an emotion, and how my relationship is often an off and on with this specific emotion.
.. and here in your blog you have written about happiness classes. You know Francene, in this current scenario of technology, the kids have lost the innocence, which was very evident in the olden times. I was an average student who scored an average score in maths. Timetables always posed a problem for me too. The way we were asked to recite the timetable as we made an error came running to my thoughts as I read this blog post. This is definitely a refreshing and nostalgic post. Thanks for sharing it Francene.

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Alana link
2/15/2015 12:02:18 am

We are raising a generation of hothouse children who will wilt under the smallest stress, I fear, if we don't change our ways. Sadly, the world we live in is going to intrude and make these kids unhappy. We should be teaching resiliency and problem solving, how to look for a job, how to read, how to do figures. What a farce. Francene, this one has me going because I have a number of friends who are/were teachers. They are already responsible for so much beyond pure education.

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Laurel Regan link
2/15/2015 05:06:42 am

Happiness classes - I can't even imagine...

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Carrie Ann Tripp link
2/15/2015 11:51:15 am

Hmmm. I'm not certain what life is like for students in the UK, but I am a public school teacher in the US. Students are sometimes too happy. They enjoy fun too much to learn. Those who are unhappy are often unhappy because they don't want to be at school at all. I teach empathy, sympathy, critical thinking, cooperation, teamwork, self-confidence, self-control, responsibility, and an entire list of other characteristics that aren't tested on, but happiness? Yeah, I'm not sure what those classes would even begin to look like.

Ok kids. Everyone take the corners of your lips and push them both up towards the outer corners of your eyes. Now, use your facial muscles to hold them there. This is called smiling. :-)

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Joan Harrington link
2/16/2015 12:41:06 am

Fantastic post Francene! 100% agree on all of the above points as to why schools need to teach "happiness" to its students :) Great post and share!

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Bethany M. link
2/16/2015 05:15:44 am

Wonderful post, Francene. So very sad that children seem to becoming more and more depressed. How wonderful that you were a ballerina growing up! I also had difficulties at fist with standing en pointe, because my second toe was longer than my first toe. Ha! Strangely enough, after a year or two it didn't bother me anymore. Thanks for writing this thought-inducing post.

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Sara link
2/16/2015 06:27:43 am

No happiness classes when I went to school but I don't think it was necessary. It may be necessary now OR simply let the children play.
Lack of outside time just being jolly kids using imaginations and not having organized activities can do wonders to ones disposition.

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Dorit Sasson link
2/16/2015 07:24:06 am

Such an important post! If schools were more aligned with the happiness quotient, our world would be such a brighter place. I don't mean that to be cheesy, but our world has become a very dark and angry place for some while the "brighter" ones of us try and maintain our happiness...

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Tandy Elisala link
2/16/2015 12:13:33 pm

Great post!!! Your stories bring back memories for me growing up. I didn't need happiness classes as we found happiness through our every day activities.

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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