September 7, 2008 Isabel Oakeshott, Deputy Political Editor

The weather is grim, the economy is in a mess, but ministers believe that they can restore the feel good factor – by teaching children how to look on the bright side of life.

The government is backing a new project designed to “immunise” youngsters from getting the blues by educating them in the art of happiness at a young age. In a programme imported from the United States, 11-year-olds are to be taught how to shrug off setbacks and banish pessimistic thoughts, helping them to cope with whatever life throws at them.

The Penn Resiliency Program, as the scheme is known, has been scientifically tested and shown to produce positive results. More than 1,500 11-year-olds in 22 schools in Britain are already on the courses in a pilot scheme masterminded by one of the world’s leading authorities in “positive psychology”.

Dr Martin Seligman, a psychologist in Pennsylvania, will meet Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, this week to discuss launching the programme nationally.

Permanent secretaries from a string of Whitehall departments have already been to Tyneside, one of three areas in the trial, to see the lessons in action and have been impressed by the results. The project has been shown to reduce significantly the rates of anxiety and depression that are often found among young people.

The programme will be shown on Tuesday at a government-backed conference on “wellbeing”.

In the lessons children are taught how to cope with difficult situations and emotions, as well as developing attitudes and skills such as assertiveness, decision making and relaxation.

They are encouraged not to think or react like Chicken Little, the fabled hen who wrongly feared that the sky was falling in, and instead they are shown how to act positively in seemingly negative situations.

More than 100 teachers from schools in South Tyneside, Hertfordshire and Manchester have travelled to Philadelphia to be taught how to give the “happiness” lessons.

The London School of Economics is undertaking a three-year evaluation of the project to monitor its effectiveness.

Seligman said: “Much of what is currently taught in this area is based on sentiment – it just ‘seems like a good idea’. This programme is research-based and has been through real testing.” The programme draws on research linking happiness to prosperity. Studies show that happy teenagers go on to earn substantially more than their peers who are gloomy. Self-discipline has been shown to be twice as important a predictor of good exam grades as IQ.

Among the ministers who are backing the project are Ed Balls, Ed Miliband and James Purnell, who will give the keynote speech at the Conference on Wellbeing.

The programme is being pushed by Geoff Mulgan, a former head of policy at No 10 under Tony Blair, through the Young Foundation, a think tank.

“Early results of the evaluation – and anecdotal evidence – are that this is having amazing results,” Mulgan said.

He believes that the emotional resilience skills being taught are particularly important in the tough economic climate.

Positive psychology is a key component of the curriculum at Wellington college, an independent school in Berkshire. Anthony Seldon, the headmaster, has argued that wellbeing classes play a key role in moving away from a “toxic obsession” with exams and tests towards more holistic education.