We have learnt Mathematics, English, Vernacular, Science and History among many other subjects in school. These subjects were important for us to learn the basics of education. But, do we know anything about the functioning of our country? Should citizens not have an equal opportunity to learn from the very beginning about how our constitution works?

To bridge this gap and make children politically conscious from an early age, the Delhi government is going to start a 10-month-long campaign to help students connect with “constitutional values”. Starting from July 1, students in government and private schools would be learning about our constitution.

Important values

Students from VI to XII from all government and private schools will engage in constitutional learnings on a centrally decided day in their weekly classes. They will also have to dedicate half a day every month to practically apply their learnings, like engage in parliamentary debates and panel discussions.

“I want all teachers to initiate discussions to understand what the ultimate goal of learning science and maths is — why the Preamble is relevant to all these subjects. The children need to understand their subjects and learning against the larger goals of the country, and what they need to serve it,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told The Indian Express.

The government says that the reason behind the introduction of constitution classes was because school teachers complained that the civics syllabus was boring. ‘not relevant’ and ‘not practical’.

“This signals a crisis. On one hand, we have students coming out of schools uninspired and ill-equipped to understand civic issues. On the other hand, communities face governance and development issues that could be addressed only through citizen engagement,” read the statement.

Happiness Course in schools

Last year in July, Delhi government introduced a new course, the ‘Happiness course’. Under the ‘Happiness Course’, launched on July 2, the students spend 45 minutes every day to participate in activities like storytelling, meditation and question and answer sessions. Additionally, for nursery and KG students, these classes will be held twice a week.

Arvind Kejriwal, while introducing this curriculum, termed it to be ‘historical’, while the Dalai Lama congratulated the Delhi government for initiating the course and said, “Only India has the ability to combine modern education with ancient knowledge which is necessary for the fulfilment of human emotions.”

Also Read: Dalai Lama Launches ‘Happiness Course’ In Delhi Govt Schools; To Help Students Deal With Stress & Pressure