Children of all ages should be given an hour of "happiness lessons" every week to nurture their development and counter the psychological harm caused by schools functioning like "exams factories", according to a new report.
The number of children in the UK receiving counselling because of exam stress has tripled in a year.
Educational advisers in various countries are calling for radical changes in the way pupils are brought up, with accusations of an "inhumane" failure to care for children's wellbeing.
The British report, due to be presented to a global health summit this week, will say mental health problems among children and teenagers have become "a massive problem", with one in 10 suffering from anxiety and depression.
The study calls for changes in the education of all children so that "life skills" are given the same attention as reading and writing.
Under the proposals, pupils from the age of five would spend at least one hour a week discussing their emotions, setting life goals and learning how to cope with everyday pressures and the social media.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 