In a perfect world, a well-being class in schools would provide students with the tools and resources they need to maintain their mental and physical health. After all, teaching well-being sounds like a benign thing, does it not? But in fact, such classes can have significant unintended consequences that completely outweigh their potential benefits .In recent years, schools have turned to well-being classes as means of equipping students with the necessary tools and resources for healthy lives, typically focusing on such topics as mindfulness, meditation, and other relaxation techniques, intending to provide students with practical skills to manage stress and anxiety and promote positive relationships. While the intention behind well-being classes is undoubtedly positive, there is a growing debate as to whether such classes are ultimately beneficial. In my opinion, schools should not offer well-being classes due to the subjective nature of happiness, the limited impact of these classes, and the potential for them to become an additional source of stress.

First of all, schools should not offer well-being classes because they are challenging to implement due to the subjectivity of happiness. As noted by Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor of social work at the University of Houston and a best-selling author on psychological topics, “Happiness is tied to circumstance and joy is tied to spirit and gratitude.” This highlights the fact that happiness can be difficult to define and can mean different things to different people. That can make it challenging to address the needs and perspectives of all students in a standardized way, especially when they often come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. In an article published on May 22, 2019, Dr. William Tov, Associate Professor of Psychology at Singapore Management University, pointed out the errors in much of the research in the field, concluding that East Asians tend to have lower levels of well-being than people in Western countries. He offered an example of how culture influences our happiness: “European Americans typically want to feel peppy emotions like excitement and cheerfulness, while Hong Kong Chinese prefer calmer states like peace and serenity.” He also agreed with the fact that happiness is subjective: “Everybody defines happiness in their own way; you can’t have one definition of happiness.” This shows that there could be a significant variation in opinions on what constitutes well-being among parents, students, and educators. This lack of consensus on what well-being means can create tension and controversy, particularly when a well-being class conflicts with family values or beliefs. As a result, the subjective nature of happiness makes it impractical for schools to offer a well-being class that will be universally effective; and therefore, such classes should not be offered in schools.

Second of all, schools should not teach well-being because a class on happiness is not enough to address larger systemic issues such as poverty, discrimination, or mental health disorders. These issues require more comprehensive solutions than a general well-being class can offer. Mental health disorders, for instance, require specialized interventions like therapy or medication, which cannot be adequately addressed by a teacher. Moreover, a research article published on January 18, 2021 by Dr. Matthew A. Killingsworth from the University of Tasmania, highlights that people living in poverty generally have a lower level of happiness than those who are not, particularly in developed countries. It is undoubtedly clear that a class alone cannot promote the well-being of all students in a meaningful way, especially underprivileged students. As such, schools must focus on implementing more comprehensive and targeted interventions to address the root causes of these issues and provide students with the support they need to thrive. In light of these systemic issues, it is evident that schools should not offer well-being classes as they have a limited impact on students’ overall well-being.

Third of all, well-being classes should not be offered in schools because doing so has the potential as an additional source of stress. Nowadays, many students already face heavy workloads in their academic subjects, and there may be unintended consequences of a well-being class, such as increased stress or anxiety for students who may feel pressure to conform to certain well-being practices or expectations. For example, a study published by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2012 found that individuals who were instructed to practice self-compassion techniques experienced greater levels of negative emotions such as sadness and anxiety compared to those who received a control intervention. The authors of the study suggested that this may be due to the fact that self-compassion involves acknowledging and accepting negative emotions, which can be difficult for some people and potentially increase their stress levels. Moreover, students may have different needs or preferences for how they manage their well-being, and a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective for everyone. Teachers may inadvertently give inappropriate or harmful advice in a well-being class, leading to negative consequences for students. Ultimately, due to the unintended negative consequences that this class can create, it should not be offered in schools.

While proponents of well-being classes argue that such classes can provide students with practical tools for managing stress and anxiety, the reality is that these classes can have unintended consequences that outweigh their potential benefits. For instance, some proponents argue that offering a well-being class can help destigmatize mental health issues and create a more open and accepting culture around mental health. However, it is essential to note that this argument overlooks the fact that well-being classes are not a substitute for specialized mental health care. Moreover, proponents argue that well-being classes can help students develop important social and emotional skills, such as empathy and self-awareness. Indeed, while these skills are important, it is clear that a well-being class is not the most effective way to develop them. Instead, schools could create a more supportive and inclusive school culture, offer counseling services, and invest in teacher training to help teachers better support the social and emotional needs of their students. Therefore, the aforementioned arguments all suggest that schools should not offer such classes.

In conclusion, schools should not offer well-being classes due to the subjective nature of happiness, the limited impact of these classes, and their potential as an additional source of stress. While it is important to promote mental health and well-being in schools, there are more effective ways to achieve this goal, such as implementing targeted interventions and providing students with access to mental health resources. It is time for schools to shift their focus toward providing a supportive and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their background and experiences. So let us work together to create a world where everyone has access to the resources they need to lead happy and fulfilling lives and have the opportunity to thrive.