How can education shape the future happiness and well-being of students?

Dialogues on happiness and well-being do not just belong to individual writers, thinkers, and philosophers anymore. In today’s modern era, evidence-based knowledge regarding happiness informs governmental policies, work cultures of organisations, and pedagogy of learning. When viewing the happiness of the community at large, the focus in societies has gradually shifted to studying the science of happiness and building sustainable happiness practices.

Mental health problems among adolescents have significantly increased in the last few decades. Research in the field has shown that lower subjective well-being hampers their physical health, social connections, and cognitive performance. Therefore, in addition to family settings, the education sector is a space which could facilitate the well-being of future generations. A structured environment and access to youth teaching and learning institutions have immense power to facilitate change.

The experiences at educational institutions can deeply shape students’ well-being. On the one hand, schools, colleges, and universities – with competition, assessment, and grades – run the risk of negatively affecting the emotional health of students. The greater subjective well-being of students within the same setting positively affects their self-confidence, academic performance, and success.

Educational institutions provide a great platform to raise emotional awareness and promote activities that are connected to students’ overall subjective well-being. Factors like experiencing choice, feeling empowered, enjoyment in learning, having a potential for growth, building deeper relationships, and being able to visualize clear goals have been found to deeply enrich students’ quality of life. Policies around higher education are increasingly driven by such learning and well-being frameworks which promote a proactive (and not reactive), positive, and mindful approach to learning. Therefore, in addition to providing attention to students who face emotional or learning difficulties, universities should proactively equip their students with the necessary skills and support to deal with the increasing pressures of modern society.

It’s important to regularly reach out to students to create deeper awareness regarding the availability of a diverse support network. The university should facilitate inclusivity, address examination anxiety, and assist with potential language barriers. For us, it is important that the Taskforce of Happiness and Well-being further proactively applies the principles of a positive approach to learning, curricula, teaching, and student activities.

Therefore, it is essential that, within our educational institutions, we have regular conversations regarding issues which may hamper well-being, such as bullying, academic stress, low self-esteem, and positive practices, such as developing gratitude, promoting a culture around fitness, and creating a sense of belonging and community. Universities, along with intellect, should aim to build the emotional strength of their students, which further helps them in flourishing physically, mentally, and academically.