Resources

The Happy Schools Guide and Toolkit is designed to support teachers and school leaders in primary and secondary schools across the Asia-Pacific region, in thinking about how they can create their own Happy School. It has therefore drawn from aspects of the Happy Schools Framework, which can be most readily addressed at the school level. While the Happy Schools Guide is targeted towards school leaders and teachers at the school level of administration and pedagogy development, the Happy Schools Toolkit is conceived for teachers at the classroom level.The Happy Schools Guide is composed of a series of booklets, each introducing key themes and concepts in relation to happiness and learner well-being, while also including several workshop-style activities that school leaders and teachers can use to explore how to incorporate happiness into their schools and everyday routines. It also examines happiness in teachers and school management, and provides information on how to (i) conduct an assessment of school practices that either support or hinder happiness; (ii) develop an annual Happy Schools Action Plan; and (iii) monitor happiness at both the school and classroom levels.The Happy Schools Toolkit is composed of 25 lessons grouped under the following three themes: Happy Learners, Happy Classrooms, and Happy Environments. These lessons are ready to use and can be efficiently integrated within existing school subjects, and within the normal school day, entailing minimal time and effort. Each lesson has an overarching objective, corresponding outcomes and teacher guidance, while also allowing flexibility for adaptation to different learner needs and contexts.Key takeawaysThe Happy Schools Guide and Toolkit is intended to assist teachers and school leaders of primary and secondary schools across the Asia-Pacific region in reflecting upon how to create their own Happy Schools for learners, teachers, and the entire school community.‘Since wars begin in the minds of men and women it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace must be constructed’