Students in England already learn about mathematics, science and history, but hundreds of schools are preparing to expand the traditional curriculum with a new subject: mindfulness. In up to 370 English schools, students will start to practice mindfulness as part of a study to improve youth mental health. They will work with mental health experts to learn relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and other methods to help them regulate their emotions, the government said. The study, which will run until 2021, is one of the largest of its kind in the world. As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children, Damian Hinds, the British education secretary, said. Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school, he added. The initiative comes months after a survey commissioned by the National Health Service found that one in eight children in England between the ages of 5 and 19 suffered from at least one mental disorder at the time of their assessment in 2017. Dr. Jessica Deighton ... who is leading the government trials, said that the new initiative was intended to offer more than quick fixes. There is a tendency to think that the solution is mental health intervention, she said. We will try to reduce the stigma against mental health problems, by making the school environment literate in mental health.