The Delhi government schools will start holding daily "happiness periods" for the students of nursery up to the 8th standard from next week, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday.

Addressing the first teachers' orientation programme on the AAP government's ambitious "happiness curriculum", Sisodia said that an estimated 9-10 lakh students of the Delhi government schools will be taught in these classes. "The classes covering the happiness curriculum will begin next week. We are also talking to the municipal corporations. If the students of the corporation schools are added, the number of children to be covered under the happiness curriculum will go up to 15-16 lakh," he said.

The government had launched the "Happiness Curriculum" on July 2 in the presence of the Dalai Lama. The curriculum has been designed and prepared by a team of 40 Delhi government school teachers, educators and volunteers over a period of six months, with an aim to find solutions to modern-day problems like terrorism, corruption and pollution.

Every day a 45-minute long happiness class will be held in all government schools. As the class starts, the students will be given five minutes to settle down and pay attention to the happenings around them, which will be a form of mindfulness. A set of 20 stories and 40 innovative activities will form part of the curriculum to train the children to think logically and creatively and understand their role in the social system and nature.

Directing teachers to not be concerned about completing the syllabus, the education minister said, "Do not rush to complete all the stories and activities. The focus should be that the right message sinks in the children."