New Student Happiness Initiative Launched In Dubai

The KHDA launched a new initiative this week, focusing on the wellbeing of students between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.

The School of Hearts’ is the first initiative of its kind in the UAE and will focus on three key areas - school environment, personal wellness and peer-support.

Hind Al Mualla, Chief of Creativity, Happiness & Innovation said, “teachers, school principals and families should be supported in their effort to promote both academic performance and healthy social and emotional development of students. Students who share good relations with their teachers and family are likely to perform better while enjoying a sense of belonging at school.”

Inspiring schools and families to look beyond examination results, school students will be invited to take part in a survey, which will ask questions relating to their safety, health and interactions at school.

It is hoped that the campaign will shed light on whether Dubai’s students feel engaged, both socially and academically.

Hind Al Mualla added, “being happy at school is an important aspect of student wellbeing. Every student should have an opportunity to nurture a positive relationship with an admiring adult which helps in building a supportive environment at school.”

The ‘School of Hearts’ initiative will work towards helping schools to build a balance between academic achievement and development of character-strengths and wellbeing.

A 2015 publication by OECD confirmed academic success is invariably linked with stress and as a result, there is less enjoyment of learning.