“Supporting schools and educators who wish to redefine the purpose of education.” Happy teachers knows the true essence of classroom teaching is to connect with the hearts and minds of the students to have them feel that school learning truly can be a
joyful and happy experience. To experience inner peace and lasting happiness, we all need to train our minds to relax and calm of mind. ‘Happy Schools’ intend to address thedeteriorating and pathetic condition of the
quality and efficiency of education in community schools. There are many socioeconomic and some political factors that plague our public/ community schools. There is a gross negligence and weaknesses on the part of the Ministry of Education for these pathetic conditions that persist for the last five decades. Every five years or so, the government forms special commissions in the name of school sector reform/development programs to shun off the hue and cry of the public.
The tragedy is that these recommendations never get implemented effectively. How can we expect our public school going children and the teachers to be happy?Practically, no research has been done about the level of happiness of teachers and students going to government funded/ community schools in Nepal. However, we can learn from highly developed country like the USA the status of mental health of students and teachers.
• Various studies show that school going CHILDREN ARE STRESSED. 1 in 8 children in the United States suffers from Anxiety Disorders. (National Institutes of Health)
• 1 in 5 children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood. (Child Mind Institute)
• Human culture across the world tends to put test scores, wealth and status before joy, connection, and well-being. Scientific research and media tells us that young people’s lives are increasingly stressful. For some, the stress is simply living in our fast-paced media saturated world, for others, the stress comes from being pushed to perform, “succeed,” and get into “good” college. For still others, the stress involves surviving in extremely challenging, even traumatic, home environments and life circumstances.
• The very nature of the mind wanders from future to past and vice versa. The mind rarely stays in the present. The monkey-like wandering nature of the mind makes it difficult for children and adults alike to give undivided attention to what is being taught in the classroom and also while reading or writing a text. Hence, very Institute)
• Human culture across the world tends to put test scores, wealth and status before joy, connection, and well-being. Scientific research and media tells us that young people’s lives are increasingly stressful. For some, the stress is simply living in our fast-paced media saturated world, for others, the stress comes from being pushed to perform, “succeed,” and get into “good” college. For still others, the stress involves surviving in extremely challenging, even traumatic, home environments and life circumstances
• The very nature of the mind wanders from future to past and vice versa. The mind rarely stays in the present. The monkey-like wandering nature of the mind makes it difficult for children and adults alike to give undivided attention to what is being taught in the classroom and also while reading or writing a text. Hence, very little retention and understanding.
• TEACHERS ARE STRESSED. According to research, most teachers experience job stress at least two to four times a day, with more than 75 % of teachers’ health problems attributed to stress. (National Education Association, USA).
• Teacher burnout—is a major issue for those in the education profession. However, adding to this stress is often an educator’s own lack of social-emotional strategies for dealing with the stress and emotional intensity of the job, which researchers suggest may diminish his or her effectiveness as a teacher.
• Leading edge psychologists are of the opinion that regardless of race, education or socioeconomic status, an alarming number of children and adolescents are being diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), depression, anxiety, obesity, eating disorders, and addictions, and engaging in cutting and other self-destructive behaviors, including suicide. Cruelty, bullying, and violence (including gun violence) are on the rise. No one is immune.
• Lack of awareness of what is surfacing in one’s mind at the moment makes it extremely difficult for
the individual to regulate one’s own emotions and those of others, intelligently.
• Lack of awareness of what is surfacing in one’s mind at the moment makes it extremely difficult
for the individual to regulate one’s own emotions and those of others, intelligently.
The experts in neuroscience and mindful -educators emphasize that the time to act is now
and do what we can to immunize our youth against the stresses throughout their lives.
• Government makes it extremely difficult for the individual to regulate one’s own emotions and
those of others, intelligently.
• Lack of awareness of what is surfacing in one’s mind at the moment makes it extremely difficult for
the individual to regulate one’s own emotions and those of others, intelligently.
The experts in neuroscience and mindful -educators emphasize that the time to act is now and do
what we can to immunize our youth against the stresses throughout their lives.
The Happy Schools Program is functionally limited to unleashing teachers’ and students’ inherent
potential to be in a happy state of mind regardless of the conditions of facilities in school and home.
Transforming our schools into Happy Schools begins with the school management and especially,
teachers. Only happy teachers can positively connect with their students and be able to persuade
almost all students in their classrooms to do substantial quality work at school and home.Happiness
is a state of mind and studies and research in brain science has verified that the brain can be trained
to change habitual negative patterns. Hence, a team/ pool of Master Resource Persons/ Trainers shall
be required. Basically, the function of creating a state of mind requires training to help train teachers
how to train their minds/brains through regular practice in Mindfulness Meditation.
What are the expected outcomes of Happy School?
The expected outcomes:
Teachers are expected be involved in this Happy School Program.
What are the expected outcomes of Happy School?
The expected outcomes:
Studies have found teachers to have the greatest impact among all school factors on student achievement.
School factors on student achievement.
• Encourages student’s attendance
• The degree to which students feel connected, accepted, and respected — heavily influences
students’ academic achievement, mental health, and overall school success.
• Decline in teachers’ burnout, stress level and turnover.
• Teachers are highly motivated and inspired, and want to contribute to quality education.
• Decline in students bullying their peers.
• Classroom learning becomes a joyful experience for students and teachers.
• Parents are committed partners with the school.
• The schools develop a good public image.
• Parents want to send their children to Government funded Happy Schools.
Making school a happy place for learners is a combined outcome of people, places and activities.
The key people are the teachers. By creating a positive and supportive environment for learning,
the teacher is actively modeling how they would like children to behave. Equally important are
the parents or caregivers. Reports show that teachers are central figures for students’ feelings of
psychological and social well-being,”
The conflict of interests of major political parties wishing to put their party representatives in the
school trained Master Teacher Trainers in the region to reach out to schools and guide the teachers
in the correct implementation of mindfulness tools. Hence, the Happy School Program should
be sustainable. The physical facilities and infrastructures once built should last long enough with
minimum and periodical repair and maintenance.
The issues and challenges facing public/ government aided schools in Nepal are as follows:
• Lack of dutiful qualified subject teachers and their absenteeism;
• Poor teaching practices (rote-learning, teacher-centered, exam-oriented, donor-driven among
others);
• The conflict of interests of major political parties wishing to put their party representatives in the
school management committee; Unnecessary intervention of the chairperson of management
committee in the day to day affairs and duties of the headmasters;
• Delayed or non-availability of text-books; lack of adequate financial support; poor and
insufficient physical facilities;
• Lack of basic requirements (pure drinking water, hygienic school environment, separate toilets
for boys and girls),
• Problem of roads and bridges, difficult weather and geographical conditions, poor socioeconomic conditions,
• High drop-out rate; negative influence of culture; donors’ dominance and
• Unnecessary influence of foreign programs and institutional competition; and
• Peer bullying exists in classrooms;
• Lack of technological support and quality teaching-learning practices are some long-standing
problems in Nepal’s education sector.
• Teachers are not connected nor involved with the students in their learning process and well-being.
• Lack of adequate time to think and solve problems.
Despite the many gains made under the SSRP (School Sector Reform Program 2016/17-2022/23),
the program’s objectives were not fully met in some areas, notably on quality, learning outcomes
and efficiency. While significant strides have been made in ensuring access, many marginalized
groups still lack access to quality education. The challenges related to the quality of education have
resulted in many children not learning as they progress through the system. Thus school dropout and
repetition rates and still quite high in early grades. (Source: Ministry of Education, SSDP 2016/17-
2022/23, Page 8-9).
Unless the teachers can persuade their students to do some substantial quality work at school, they
will not be able to gain joy and satisfaction from the learning process.
The New Education Plan was promulgated in the year B.S. 2028 and the public schools were
doing excellent. Institutional or private schools literally did not exist then. Senior citizens in their
community took the initiative to establish and manage the schools in their communities. It was only
after the implementation of the New Education Plan that thethen Panchayat government’s education
laws began to intervene the smooth functioning of the public schools. That was the beginning of the
era of politicization in public education.
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but also one of the most demanding. There are
enough scientific evidences to prove that children and adolescents face intense pressures at home,
at school, and from their peers. Those of us who work with children know how crucial it is to teach
them stress management skills so that they can be happy and healthy, both now and as they journey
into adulthood.
Only happy teachers can transfer their happiness to their children in the classroom and school. So,
we need to listen and learn from the schools abroad how implementing Mindfulness Meditation in
school curriculum impacts their mental and physical health. We expect our teachers to take care of
our children. Given the conditions that persists within themselves, their homes, and at schools, they
need our support to help transform their inner worlds (minds-thoughts, feelings, emotions, body
sensations) and only they might be able to share the happiness they experience within themselves.
The school, classroom, syllabus to teach, students, parents, administrators are all the outside world
where the teacher is expected to bring efficiency and substantial quality. Leadership, whether of
politicians or teachers, is always from the INSIDE-OUT.
During times when industrialized countries around the world have thought it necessary to incorporate
mindfulness in school curriculum, Nepalese educators, teachers, parents, and community leaders
still are distance away from experiencing the benefits mindfulness meditation has to offer. Though
initiatives to bring meditation into Nepalese classrooms have been made here and there, an urgency
to bring a nation-wide and evidence-based curriculum as a non-profit campaign across the country to
be led by all concerned to quality of education.
Bikal Sherchan
Educator, Life Coach & Mindfulness Instructor
[email protected]
9849053285