"Pay attention at the back - but only if it doesn't make you upset." The idea of teaching happiness in schools lends itself irresistibly to caricature. The list of what makes pupils happy is less likely to feature happiness tuition than alternatives such as membership of a sports team, chatting with friends or missing a hated lesson.

This week Lord Layard, a professor at the London School of Economics, argued that happiness should be taught alongside core subjects such as English and maths. The mental health and well-being of young people is important in itself and can also help them to prepare for adult life. But the idea of happiness lessons is a distraction.