For years, school conversations have largely centred around marks, attendance and learning outcomes. Rajasthan is now trying to add another measure to that list: how children feel in the classroom.The state has launched ‘Khushishala’, a mental health and wellbeing programme for students of Classes 1 to 5 in around 1,500 government schools. Officials say Rajasthan is the first state in the country to introduce such a structured programme at the primary level.Implemented by the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT), the initiative uses classroom activities to help children develop emotional resilience, social skills and life skills. But the programme is not aimed only at students.
Teachers at the centre
Under Khushishala, teachers undergo a three-day training programme followed by a 21-day audio-based course on emotional awareness, stress recognition, relationship building and wellbeing. Teacher handbooks and mobile-based resources have also been prepared to support classroom activities.RSCERT Director Shweta Fagediya said, “Khushishala has made Rajasthan the first state in India to implement a mental health and well-being programme at the primary education level. The objective is to strengthen children’s emotional resilience and social-emotional skills while equipping teachers to better understand and support students’ emotional needs.”
Pilot shaped the rollout
The programme follows a pilot conducted in Sirohi and Banswara districts in 2024.According to Fagediya, the pilot involved 120 teachers and recorded a 53 per cent improvement in students’ socio-emotional skills. Among girls, the improvement reached 69 per cent.“The findings also indicated stronger teacher-student relationships and greater emotional development among children,” she said, adding that the programme also helped reduce academic stress.Following the pilot, RSCERT and Kshamtalaya Foundation trained teachers across the state. The initiative is now being expanded, with plans to train 11,305 teachers at the panchayat level and extend it to 649 PM SHRI schools.If the rollout goes as planned, Rajasthan will have more than 12,000 schools with at least one teacher trained to conduct Khushishala activities. (with agency inputs)
