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00:00 Kindness on the curriculum. While the teachers tell the class a story, these Danish primary
00:07 school students trace it out on their classmates' backs.
00:12 "The fluffy bear wanted very much to go to Denmark and quickly packed his bags."
00:19 This exercise is part of empathy class, which is mandatory for all students from the ages
00:26 of six up until sixteen.
00:32 The aim is to develop the children's social skills and sense of class cohesion.
00:37 "It lets children get closer to each other. It's so they're not afraid to hug a classmate
00:43 if they feel sad."
00:48 These lessons on empathy and emotional intelligence teach children how to be good classmates in
00:54 the hopes of preventing school bullying.
00:59 The parents are also given guidelines to make sure no child gets left out and to discourage
01:04 exclusionary cliques. Families take the rules to heart.
01:08 "If you're a girl, you can choose either to invite the whole class for a birthday party,
01:15 or you can also choose to invite the girls only. But you cannot pick and choose. The
01:20 school has this focus also on the parents. Hey, remember, don't talk bad about the kids
01:25 or the parents."
01:27 When this mother questions her children on what they would do if they witnessed bullying
01:31 at school, the girls affirm.
01:35 "I would say stop and I would help. And if that doesn't work, we'll go and get an adult."
01:45 As bully classes are starting to make their way to other countries like France, a teacher
01:50 from Paris is observing this session with Danish children.
01:54 "We have to comfort him and tell him that he can play with the others."
01:59 "We try to make sure that the children are happy in the group. And if we keep an eye
02:05 on this, we can nip bullying in the bud. We can learn these lifelong lessons very early
02:10 on."
02:12 Denmark has one of the lowest rates of bullying in Europe, with just 5 percent of 11-year-olds
02:17 saying they've been picked on in the past two months.
02:20 (children laughing)