The Importance of Happiness to Children’s Education and Wellbeing
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Abstract
In this chapter I investigate what happiness means now and how we should strive for a life of happiness. If happiness is what we aim for, for ourselves and for our children, we can assume that the greatest happiness for the greatest number should therefore be the utilitarian aim of education, health service and politics. These institutions of the state should thus explicitly address the happiness of citizens, including children.
We know from experience that happy children are healthier, learn better, display more emotional literacy and are better behaved. But to talk about happiness in education is somehow “soft,” and instead we talk about emotional intelligence, selfesteem, and anger management. In this chapter, I propose that we should seriously consider the happiness of our children in our institutions of education and link the concept to spirituality, health, wellbeing and, in particular, to the empowerment of our children and young people.
Keywords
Young People Emotional Intelligence League Table Street Child Personal PowerPreview
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