Its about time we got out of the Victorian teaching methods (that have a very limited effect on most children) and started to open our eyes and minds to how we think and what we believe...and that should start when we are children. Emotional Intelligence lessons will help children become more self-aware and therefore able to manage and succeed in life at a much higher level than just academics. We should welcome and encourage this development and perhaps take happiness lessons ourselves!

Alexandra Watson, Windlesham,

This government has no life, Judy from Liverpool.

Alice, London,

I believe that in today's society, children most children are led to believe that they are nobody, and will never account to anything. This was the case in my childhood (40 years ago) - but mine was because of classic abuse through unfair punishment and emotional deprivation.

It has been proven time and time again that if children do not understand what they are going through, or believe that there is no point trying to change themselves or their circumstances - - - they will go off the rails! I
became very introverted and did not know that the emotions I was experiencing were normal, I did not know how to deal with them, so became withdrawn and began a life time of self sabotage.

If we can prevent this happening to todays children, we will have a better (behaved) society in the future, where each individual feels valued, and might, just might, be able to fulfil their potential.

More and more, it falls to the schools system to make up the emotional shortfal of parents.

Carole, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Who are the morons who come up with this stuff? When I was in school in the 1950s and early 60s I was taught useful stuff like mathematics, chemistry, physics, French, English language (er, what's that?), English literature, Latin (not that I found that to be of much use in later life!), not this soft cuddly stuff. It seems to me that the "education" authorities have lost the plot totally, (as indicated in the physiscs exam report that was highlighted in this column a few days ago). It is almost as bad here in Australia. We have a niece and nephew in Hong Kong who can run rings round local kids in educational terms. I can guess who are going to make more of a success of their lives. It's a tough competitive world out there and it ain't going to get any easier. (Yes, I know it should be "isn't").

Gerry Watts, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

The undergraduates I receive suggest schools fail to teach how to read and write. As such, should we predict that they will also fail to teach how to be happy?

So children are to feel "valued, consulted and listened to"? I would like: lower taxes; less interference by government; fewer pieces of legislation every session; private sector health care; no longer to subsidise the lazy and incompetent; a referendum on the EU constitution and financial independence for universities. At least the EU constitution point seems to be quite popular. But we don't get it. So why make children feel listened to? They will only become disappointed, frustrated and depressed later in life when they deal with government!

JS, Cambridge,

Sounds like the government has got it absolutely right this time; intelligent policy backed up by solid research and evaluation rather than knee-jerk politics - poor Cecilia should be directing her ire at bad management of her school budget for not getting enough maths textbooks, not the government.

Steve, London,

Is today the 1st of April by any chance!

David Grant, Belfast,

My first reaction is - BARKING. my second and third are - also BARKING.

Why doesn't the 'Government' sponsor some ho-tech research in to a chip that can be inserted into children that will enable full control of all emotions - probably a more effective solution than trying to get cynical teachers to teach 'happiness'.

Barking...barking....

CD, Epworth, UK

The time would be better spent teaching English, including spelling, and arithmetic given the overall poor levels of literacy. Knowledge of history is pretty appalling too.

John Jackson, Dubai,

That's right, Judy: a sensible balanced opinion. Because of course so many women are having lots of babies just because it means they get more money. Barking.
This is a very good proposal. One of the especially strong parts of it is the increase in empathy which children will have. That makes them far less likely to be unpleasant to each other.

Will Duffay, London,

Erm, a lot of anger there Judy? Maybe you would benefit from a sensible and sensitive study into what it means to be an emotional and social human being who has to interact with others in this complex world. I think this move is to be applauded - anything that takes us away from furious and often impotent teacher screeching at sullen and hateful child is a good thing. However, one troubling thought - do we have enough knowlegde and wisdom ourselves to teach children the "correct" emotional response to situations? Is there not a little bit of a danger that we will impose an Orwellian-type emotional template on kid's minds that will inhibit individuality?

Josephine, London,

Happiness lessons? Whatever else could we expect from such a bunch of clowns!

stevgillamos, Romford,

Kids might know how to enjoy themselves but I think parents mess them up a lot. Also, if so many people are so happy these days, why do so many drink? Who do so many claim that 'shopping' is their so-called 'hobby'? It's because they've not figured out how to be happy without spending money or dulling their emotions with drink.

People these days often believe they should be on a high all the time. Or they think that life is like an episode of some TV programme, like Friends. You need to be well-off, with a nice big place to live in and be good-looking and have a great job... whereas ... you don't. I don't - and I'm certainly happy.

Especially since I dropped out of the veritable rat race in the UK and came to live abroad where no-one looks down at me for renting or having gone to a comprehensive. Freedom. No office politics. Control over my own job. It's heaven. And I have hobbies and interests that don't make me blotto every weekend.

Tina, Duesseldorf, Germany

Speaking as a life coach this is very good news for the children of the UK. What a lot of parents dont know is that when their kids get older and apply for top notch jobs they will often have to go through psychometric testing to see if they would make good employees worth a high salery. Emotional intelligence is of major importance. A person with a fabulous degree may have low emotional intelligence which would render them difficult to work with as colleaques. Psychometric tests can pick this up. In America they have school college and university wellness services that promote well being. The drive now is to spot the childs signiture strenghts rather than weakness's. There's a movement away from therapists hooking into the childs weakness and giving them a label with therapy attached. Check out Authentic Happiness using positive psychology - it's not only children who are having happiness classes adults are doing it to.

Robert Anthony, Brighton England,

As an eighteen year old who has just left school, it frustrates me that such initiatives are only just beginning to develop and create change. That said, I really hope that this idea works and benefits my two fresh and responsive younger siblings who are just about to embark on the scary journey that is secondary school. Excuse my pessimistic negativity, but surely this kind of thing should start at home? Also, this initiative shouldn't be about giving children and teachers 'permission to think about things that are not academic,' instead, happiness and well being should be a prominent and effective feature of the everyday syllabus; becoming an essential factor which children and students would naturally adopt, then finding it easier to be confidently successful in the school environment. For me, happiness should come before academic achievement always.

Ruby, Sheffield,

Judy, first comment is wrong, many children these days are unfortunately being brought up by parents who cannot cope with their own emotions, and therefore do not know how to cope with their own childrens emotions/behaviours. I was brought up in an environment where emotions were not to be acknowledged, I did not know how to communicate with my own daughter who unlike me has gone off the rails, there is nothing I cna do about this now, the damage is done, something like this might have been very helpful for her and for me, I have now been dealing with depression for 23 years, my daughter, since she was 12, not that it was recognised by the medical establishment. 12 don't be silly she can't be depressed, she had been rejected by her father and was depressed and with help like that there was very little I could do.
I am well educated to A level standard, but no I didn't know how to deal with my daughters emotions as no one had taught me to deal with or express my own .

Dee, Medway,

This is will prove to be an outstanding achievement in our education system encompassing the "new" style of learning into our childrens lives. It is vitally important that children are encouraged to express themselves and deal with emotional conflict in an age where emotions can control the direction of your life. The speed at which children develop skills can be seriously enhanced by helping them identify their learning style. This is beyond a doubt an exciting initiative and I wish it every success.

Meena Desour, Langley, Berkshire

This is a fantastic idea. The awareness of mental health problems in this country is SHOCKINGLY bad. Though a class like this has the potential to be too wishy-washy, it could also prove to be extremely useful in stopping early development of depression and other mental problems.

Jeremy, London,

If you want children to be calm all the time in school dose all of them with Ritalin. The increase in the use of this dangerous drug is frightening.
In the 60's, new Mums with post natal depression were regularly given Mogadon - aka "Mother's Little Helpers". They didn't make you any happier, but they did make you calm - so calm you felt like a zombie. Maybe all schoolchildren could be given Mogadon, so they will be "mogadored"? Of course their brains will be as much use as a head full of cauliflower ... but they will be calm.
Children have to learn how to cope with their emotions, but not by analysing every detail. How obsessive is that? They just have to know they will sometimes be happy, sometimes sad, and sometimes angry. Sometimes all 3 at the same time during adolescence. We all went through it, and emerged the other side more or less intact. It's called "Growing Up". Self-Awareness? Anyone with a teenager knows they are self aware to the point of total selfishness.

Beryl, WINDSOR, England

Have I misunderstood something here, or is Judy saying that having lots of children increases income? (I appologise now if I have got the wrong end of the stick, this is not aimed at anyone who is not saying that.) To me, that sounds like rubbish, as children are VERY expensive. Also, if the "children's lives are fragmented and chaotic" then more children would increase the stress of the mother, and in turn increase the fragmentation and chaoticness of the children's lives. Plus, I thought that the government was supposed to be in favour of marriage, so if would be a reversal of a major policy if it was "encouraging single women" to have children at all!

Also, as I am still in the middle of school life (I am about to start my second year of 6th form) I can say that lessons teaching "you about how to deal with things when you are not happy" would be extremely helpful both in times of exam stress and in the rest of life. However, many teenage children many not se this at the time.

Alan, Yorkshire,

The Government is barking up the wrong tree! What about buying more Textbooks for secondary school books so that they have a book each and can concentrate in class and be able to take the book home to do their homework on the same day?

This will avoid distraction in class and the pupils will be able to practise what they have been taught in class on the same day. To wait for a book in turn mean that they would have forgotten what their teacher have taught them by the time they got their books.

As a parent, teacher and tax payer, the Government is wasting our resources by barking up the wrong tree.

CECILIA, London,

That's right, Judy: a sensible balanced opinion. Because of course so many women are having lots of babies just because it means they get more money. Barking.
This is a very good proposal. One of the especially strong parts of it is the increase in empathy which children will have. That makes them far less likely to be unpleasant to each other.

Will Duffay, London,

I think the government is barking up the wrong tree to improve standard. I think the government should invest in more scecondary and primary school books so that each pupil has at least a book each to practice their Maths! I was a Maths teacher and found that the lack of books meant that the pupils have to share in classroom and they have to take turns to do their Maths homework on alternate days! This mean that they have forgotten 80 % of what thye have been taught by the time their turn comes to do their Maths homework!

CECILIA, London,

Life experience can have good and bad effects on everyone. Not every child is so fortunate as to have an upbringing conducive to self-knowledge and self-esteem. Learning to recognize and challenge one's own, and others', negative thoughts and behaviours is a really good skill to have. If more people could develop that self-awareness, the world would be a nicer place to live in and people would feel happier in their daily lives, including at work and at school. I think this will do no harm and may do a lot of good. Worth trying, definitely.

Cathy, Preston,

This is will prove to be an outstanding achievement in our education system encompassing the "new" style of learning into our childrens lives. It is vitally important that children are encouraged to express themselves and deal with emotional conflict in an age where emotions can control the direction of your life. The speed at which children develop skills can be seriously enhanced by helping them identify their learning style. This is beyond a doubt an exciting initiative and I wish it every success.

Meena Desour, Langley, Berkshire

Judy, how many single parents do you think actually have this attitude? One word: deluded. Any attempt to help kids cope with difficult situations (a responsibilty that should primarily be left to the parents) should be welcomed and not rubbished.

Jordan, Manchester,

Oh for God's sake, get a life! Kids KNOW how to enjoy themselves they don't need some boring old f..t telling them how to be happy. They really do take ridiculous things to absolute extremes this totally inept Government. If children's lives are fragmented and chaotic the Government needs to look at it's policies of encouraging single women who can't cope with their kids to have as many as possible because it offers a good income.

Judy , Liverpool, england