Why kids here are laughing their way to school

School introduces ‘first of its kind’ laughter class to de-stress students and teachers
Express News Service
Surat, December 29: NOW, laugh your examination blues away! No loose talk this, as for the ‘first time in the country’, a laughing class is being introduced for the students of Sanskar Bharti Vidyalaya at Palanpur Patia in Surat. Reason: To relieve students and teachers of exam-related stress. The laughter period will be accommodated in the physical education class, say the school authorities.
The aim is to increase the interaction and lessen the tension between students and teachers, they say. Surat’s Kamlesh Masalawala, who calls himself Laughter Ambassador, has been appointed as the instructor for the class.

Talking to Newsline, International Laughter Ambassador Kamlesh Masawala said, “A couple of months ago, I visited Sanskar Bharti Vidyalaya after the school president Paresh Patel, who is also my friend, invited me to give a low down on laughter therapy for students and teachers.”
“The students and teachers had a hilarious time and later, on their demands, Patel called me and asked me to conduct laughing class once a week in the school,” he adds.
Underlining the importance of such a class, Kamlesh says, “This will help shorten distance between students and teachers. After laughing period, students and teachers co-ordinate more with each other. I explained them different laughing techniques sans mimicry, jokes. This therapy will help students to prepare well for exams.”
Kamlesh Masalawala, took his first class in school on Friday morning, where more than 2,500 students of different age groups along with the teachers and principal participated.
“In the beginning, the students and teachers were quite conscious, but later, they too started laughing. This technique will also decrease the generation gap. Even artificial laughing is good for health as is proved scientifically,” he adds.
“One has to maintain eye contact,” adds Kamlesh Masalawala, who won an award in the All India Laughter Championship organised in Ooty earlier this year.
Sanskar Bharti Vidyalaya president Paresh Patel said that the students and the teachers also felt that the laughing classes will help in de-stressing. “Encouraged by the students and teachers’ response in the laughter therapy, I decided to go ahead with this class. In fact, even after the class, they are in lighter mood and enjoy working. In the beginning, the class will be of half-an-hour duration (in a week). We’ll extend the duration on the response we receive,” he says.