Oxford University Press launches wellness curriculum for school children

New Delhi: The Oxford University Press India has designed a first-of-its kind "wellness curriculum" for classes 1-8 to help schoolchildren understand emotions, build an active body, develop healthy relationships and understand the importance of ecological care.

"My Happiness and Me" is a series of eight activity workbooks designed for schoolchildren in classes 1-8.

Officials said the curriculum aims to assist the children in navigating their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

The wellness curriculum aligns with the vision set out by the National Education Policy, 2020, and outlined under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2023, that emphasises the holistic development of learners.

"The wellness curriculum is a unique, research-based publication aligned with NCF 2023. The series 'My Happiness and Me' offers learners a toolkit to navigate their emotions and relationships successfully. This approach, validated by the Oxford Impact Study, not only enhances wellbeing but also leads to improved educational outcomes in core disciplines," said Oxford University Press India Managing Director Sumanta Datta.

"We are confident that this active learning pedagogy will bring joy to the learning experience and contribute to shaping well-rounded individuals. Our study found that incorporating wellness curriculum in schools ensures that learner engagement is high, and they experience greater success. It reduces dropout rates in schools and raises self-efficacy and self-esteem levels amongst learners," Datta added.

The curriculum focuses on developing capacities that promote learners' wellness such as fitness, good health, psycho-social wellbeing and sound ethical grounding, especially in the post-pandemic period.

The lessons in the wellness curriculum have been planned in collaboration with curriculum developer Rangeet and feature its proprietary Social Emotional and Ecological Knowledge (SEEK) curriculum.

SEEK uses active play-based pedagogies that help children connect with themselves, their societies and the ecological systems and develop a breadth of skills, wellbeing, agency and global stewardship.

There are five overarching themes in each book -- My Mind, My Body, My Relationships, My World, and Nature Is beautiful.

"Each of these guides learners through a range of topics, including managing anger, anxiety, stress, as well as issues such as recognizing good and bad touch, bullying, gender discrimination, nutrition, exercise and many others. The series is an accessible way to help children unpack their thoughts and feelings, helping them become well-rounded individuals as they grow," Datta said.