Just sharing a short article on the priorities of schools in Denmark.
Since 1993, the Denmark education system has included mandatory classes teaching empathy to their students, and one hour each week, during “Klassens tid,” students aged six to 16 years old are taught empathy lessons.
From an evolutionary standpoint, empathy is a valuable impulse that helps humans survive in groups. The empathy lessons are believed to help them strengthen their relationships, succeed in work, and prevent bullying.
I’ve never had a job where I had to apply test-taking skills. Even those who need to occasionally take tests to maintain certifications or obtain credentials need a lot more than a knowledge of test-taking strategies to be successful and productive at their jobs. It breaks my heart how focused we Americans are on teaching kids to take tests these days, when it won’t serve them, or our country, very well in the future.