THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a first in the state, the State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET), Kerala, an autonomous institution under the General Education Department, will compile a happiness index of school children.
The index is likely to be readied within a year as a collective effort of SIET and other stakeholders of educational and health experts. The idea of preparing the unique concept was mooted by SIET director B Aburaj. As part of the concept, the SIET will collect personal details of students from all areas in the state. According to Aburaj, it is a unique and collective effort by the SIET to ensure that the children in the state are happy in terms of social, economic and psychological development.
“For the first time in the state, an institution is going to prepare an index modelled on the human development index. Though various institutions are preparing human indices based on various parameters, no institution had prepared a happiness survey for the children. Children are the backbone of a family and they decide the future of our country. Hence, it is our responsibility to check their happiness level,” he said.
As part of the index preparation, we will prepare a questionnaire and further survey will be based on the questions the team asks to the children in every family. However, Aburaj said that it is the concept which is at the preliminary stage. “Right now, we need to plan a roadmap on this after conducting a session with education and health experts. Based on the output from the meeting, we will start the process and we expect to complete the entire process within six months or one year. The elections or the change in government will not affect this,” Aburaj said. The world celebrated the International Day of Happiness on March 20.
Three years ago, Madhya pradesh had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT-Kharagpur (the only institute to have a Happiness Centre) to devise a Happiness Index for the State. Incidentally, no other states have ever tried to devise a happiness index. Now, Kerala has started the preliminary works. However, based on a study of 24 data indicators, including health, education, human rights and family income in 2019, children in Kerala are found to be the happiest and children in Madhya Pradesh are found to be the least happiest.
The study report was compiled by World Vision India (a NGO headquartered in Chennai) and the Institute of Financial Management and Research. Health indicators such as stunting and infant mortality, under-five mortality rate, mental health/ illnesses, sex-ratio, education indicators such as passing tenth grade, the pupil-teacher ratio, basic reading and mathematics skills, drop-out rates in secondary school, crime indicators such as juvenile crimes, suicide rates, child labour, economic indicators such as homelessness, households with less income are likely to be the part of the survey. All indicators will be brought to a common scale of measurement.
SIET to collect details of students
The State Institute of Educational Technology will collect personal details of students from all areas. It is a unique and collective effort to ensure that the children in the state are happy in terms of social, economic and psychological development.