High hopes for happy learning

With its recent adoption of a “study less, play more” policy for schools, Thailand seems right in tune with a regional trend. “Happy School” is the theme of a just-concluded art contest hosted by the United Nations, Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), and the winning entries are full of glee.

“In the Mood for School” by South Korean teenager Yejoon “Jennifer” Yoo – who’s living in Bangkok while attending an international school – claimed top prize among the 160 entries from 17 Asia-Pacific countries.

It shows the feet of a student who’s sitting on the ground surrounded by the utensils of learning, from a textbook, pens and schoolbag to a coffee cup, rugby ball and iPhone.

Jennifer’s picture and the other nine finalists in the contest – which was open to all, not just students – will go on display this Friday at new Bangkok community mall the Commons. The question that each of them answers is “What does a happy school look like to you?” 

Yesterday was the International Day of Happiness, and to mark the event, Unesco Bangkok will also on Friday release its first report on “happy schools” around the Pacific Rim. 

“A Framework for Learner Well-being in the Asia-Pacific” examines innovative approaches taken by schools to ensure their students’ “holistic development”, as opposed to just testing and rote learning. It offers criteria for schools to improve, timely advice for Thailand, which is grappling with shortcomings in its education system.

For her part, Jennifer says in her artwork’s caption that she “wanted to encourage both schools and students to acknowledge the value of useful learning content and lessons that are applicable in human life”.

“Students nowadays are suffering from both mental and physical problems due to huge pressure and competition in schools,” says the 18-year-old. “As greater academic achievements are required in society, students concentrate on getting higher grades rather than learning important lessons for daily life.”

As a result, she says, relationships suffer, stress builds and serious problems go unattended. “Students are our future, so helping them learn useful life wisdom and increasing their happiness is very important in promoting a healthy society.” 

There’s also a rose in her painting, representing youthful love and relationships. The books symbolise knowledge, the phone the importance of communication, the cup of coffee leisure and relaxation, and the football physical activities and entertainment.

And the feet themselves, she says, symbolise “students who are in the mood for learning”. 

“I intentionally painted them black and white to suggest that students are ready to be ‘coloured’ with wisdom.”

Indonesian Estiawati Subair, 33, won second prize with a cheerful photograph titled “I Have a Big Dream”. It shows junior students in Makassar flying paper aeroplanes – the result of fun lessons taught by not just designers and pilots but also accountants, doctors and journalists.

Indian Debdatta Chakraborty, 40, won third prize with a lovely bird’s-eye view photo titled “Education for Street Children”. She has four smiling Bangladeshi schoolgirls sitting on the ground writing on small slates. Their remote school has no modern amenities but, as the first from their families to receive any kind of education, they’re delighted to be there. “Their happiness to learn surprised everyone,” says Chakraborty.

Napasorn Saesin, Thailand’s only finalist, won the judges’ hearts with an engaging watercolour she called “Going Together towards Success with Happiness”. The 14-year-old Chulalongkorn Demonstration School student depicted a school bus, driven by big smiling balloons, leaping out of an old book, its destination in the sky marked as “Success”.

“We need to step out of schools that teach the same old things from old textbooks and instead make a journey to a new world to find success,” Napasorn says.

The other finalists were Indians Kuntal Kumar Roy, Prasanta Biswas and Abhijeeta Sarkar, Indonesian Alland Dharmawan and Australian Elodie Khan – the youngest entrant at age 10.

Unesco’s Alienor Salmon, who was in charge of the art contest, says the entries reflect the research findings and key messages of the agency’s report. 

“School is a place where there’s friendship, laughter, playing and opportunities to learn through creative and practical activities, and where learners can stay connected with nature and their local communities,” she says. 

“School is also about learners discovering their aspirations and dreams, with all of these factors not only enhancing learner happiness and well-being, but also making a crucial contribution to their future success in life and work.”

Unesco Bangkok’s report began with a study on the Happy School Projects launched two years ago. The aim was to determine what makes a school “happy”, based on the views of students, teachers, parents and others. 

“In view of the challenges students face in today’s competitive, stress-fuelled, test-focused world, the theme of happiness has come to the forefront of the global policy agenda,” the report notes. Happiness was recognised in a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 2011 as “a fundamental human goal” and counted among the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

“The importance of happiness in schools has also attracted global attention, with global indices such as the Better Life Index and international assessments including PISA aiming to measure the linkages between learner happiness and the quality of education.”

The report concludes with the Happy Schools Framework – 22 criteria for building a happy school, grouped into the categories people, process and place, along with strategies for achieving them. 

“The framework calls for education systems to shift away from traditional measures and to instead embrace diversity of talents and intelligence by recognising values, strengths and competencies that contribute to enhancing happiness,” the agency says. 

“Suggested criteria for achieving these goals include supporting positive teacher attitudes and attributes, encouraging learner freedom, creativity and engagement, and creating a warm and friendly learning environment.”

The Happy Schools Project emerged from Unesco Bangkok’s “Learning to Live Together” report on ways in which educators can promote peace.

 

LOOK AND LAUGH

- Entries in the art contest will be on display from Friday until April 3 at the Commons on Soi Thong Lor. Winners will receive their awards there at 1pm on Friday. Find out more at www.unescobkk.org/education/quality-of-education/happyschools