Abstract
D.Ed. (Sociopedagogics)
Many students attend school throughout the year. These students vary from being happy to unhappy individuals. The reason why some of these students are unhappy gave cause to the undertaking of this study. Therefore, the essence of happiness, as well as the needs for happiness of the school student, had to be determined, all within the limits of responsible educational standards. It was furthermore a problem to determine the reasons for the unhappiness of students at school and what had to be done to keep the happy students happy and make the unhappy students happy. The ultimate problem to be solved, was to determine the extent to which a change in attitude or simply a slight change in educational approach would influence the happiness of students at school.
The methods used in this study were firstly an intensive literature study, with a socio pedegogical perspective on the task of the school.
This was followed by a literature study to determine the essence of happiness, with the perspective on the Bible, as well as the perspective on the meanings of several theorists. Secondly, an empirical study involving secondary school students, was done.
They were asked to state their own meaning on happiness in a single paragraph. They were also asked to evaluate and arrange, ten needs of happiness determined beforehand, in order of importance.
Some of the most important results that came forth from the literature study, in addition to the Biblical message, that happiness causes joy and peace of mind to the human being, are that happiness is a longing and highest aspiration of all mankind, that happiness is future directive, is permanent and is experienced with fellow men and that happiness is incomplete. The need for security and the need for self-realization are the two essences of happiness that received highest priority.
The results from the empirical study show that the student has a need to be acknowledged as a person for self-realization and to be able to lead a good life. Intellectual development, human relations and communication with fellow men received less priority, while the needs for freedom, discipline and especially the need for food and clothing, received the least priority. The reason for this tendency, can be that the basic needs of these students have already been satisfied -and the fullfilment for less
basic needs still excist.
In the light of all these results attention must be given to the criteria for an "ideal" school that can attend to the satisfying of the needs for happiness of the school student. The
ideal school must strive to meet the needs of the student in its education and training.
atmosphere of security and give the student thorouh It must educate the student in an
pedogogical love to self-realization, intellectual and moral education and secure order and discipline. The ideal school must guide the student to overcome his failures, teach the student what happiness is all about and brief him on how to be a happy student,
now and for years to come.