Benefits of Mindfulness in Education - Part 1:

The Mindful Schools

The very first 60-day Mindfulness program for a group of Sri Lankan school children got underway at a premier school in Colombo on 11 January 2016. Every day for the next 60 days, students will learn and practise Mindfulness techniques under an experienced Mindfulness coach. And they will continue with the practice during their balance school careers to gain significant benefits in three proven areas.

Proven benefits

The improvements proven through scientific research are in the areas of academic attainment and results, mental health of the children and thirdly the character- building and resilience, which cover a range of non-academic skills and capabilities. Both at an individual and at a collective level, these are very important benefits.

So what was initiated on 11 January 2016 by a single forward thinking Mindful School could herald a totally new set of opportunities to other Sri Lankan schools.

Executive control and emotional regulation

The majority of child psychologists believe the most important fundamentals for child development are executive control (the management of mental processes such as memory, problem solving, reasoning and planning) together with emotional control (the ability to understand and manage emotions - especially impulse control). These main contributors to emotional regulation reinforce emotional wellbeing, effective learning and academic attainment.

They also predict income, health and criminality in adulthood (Ref: A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety -PubMed)

Growing body of scientific evidence

Emotional resilience, coping skills, the capacity to manage difficulties and the ability to form constructive relationships are all important aspects of a child's overall development and there is evidence that Mindfulness contributes to each of those. (Ref: Healthy Young Minds: Transforming the Mental Health of Children- Report of WISH Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children Forum 2015) There is new scientific evidence to show that the above emotional positive aspects are often apparent three years after taking a course in Mindfulness. And continued short inputs produce discernible results. (Ref: Developing Mindfulness with Children and Young People - Journal of Children's Services)

One pilot study of a group of students aged 17-19 in the US showed decreases in tiredness and negative affectivity (a term which covers a range of negative emotions such as sadness, fear, nervousness, guilt, disgust, anxiety and anger) and increases in calm, relaxation and overall wellbeing. (Refs: 1. A controlled trial of mindfulness training in schools: The importance of practice for an impact on well-being - The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2. The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Behavioural Problems and Attentional Functioning in Adolescents with ADHD 3. School-based meditation practices for Adolescents: A Resource for Strengthening Self-Regulation, Emotional Coping, and Self-Esteem)

In another study involving 12 schools in the UK, students reported fewer depressive symptoms, lower stress and greater wellbeing at follow-up (Ref: Mindfulness Nation UK Report - Oxford Mindfulness Centre)

Additional benefits

Another area of particular interest to schools is how Mindfulness positively impacts on difficult behaviour, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as well as impulsiveness and aggression. The positive outcomes are consistent with the beneficial impact of Mindfulness on self-regulation such as controlling impulses, delaying gratification and monitoring attention.

Decisive factors for successful implementation

The consensus reached as a result of the global experience on Mindfulness Programs in schools focus on two key areas. The first is that the success of the program depends to a considerable extent on the quality and experience of the Mindfulness teacher's own mindfulness practice. That can take several years of sustained personal commitment, which is well beyond personal training. (Ref: Mindfulness Nation UK Report - Oxford Mindfulness Centre - Page 18)

The success of the school Mindfulness program also depend on how it is implemented; an isolated incident of a Mindfulness teacher working with one class is less effective than a whole school approach in which everyone in the school community including parents and staff participate in the program. A significant positive link has been found between the amount of home practice a child does and improvements in wellbeing. Active support of the parents and school teachers are needed to develop a sustained practice at home for children.

Some of the teachers and parents of the pioneering Sri Lankan school also started to practice with the children both at school and at home.

One of the unexpected results emerging from this teacher/parent support is the improvement in adult wellbeing leading to beneficial results in their lives and at work.

Aruna Manathunge has practised Mindfulness for over 43 years. During the past 7 years he has closely followed the development of Mind Science in the Western world. He has had a long career as the Country Head of Sri Lanka and the Head of the Indian Sub-Continent of an American Pharmaceutical Multinational company. Presently he conducts Coaching in Mindfulness to Schools and Companies. Aruna can be contacted at [email protected]