The benefits of empathy..

Empathy, or the ability to read another person’s emotions, is a critical life skill. Many fear children are losing it—and that they’ll be less happy as adults as a result. Most countries treat empathy as something children might “pick up” along the way or on their own but.. But not Denmark!

Without support and focus, kids learn competition before compassion, performance and wins before feelings and a connection. That forms great adults who know how to pass exams, but not how to hold a community together or create good leaders.

Denmark’s approach makes a powerful point: empathy isn’t optional—it’s infrastructure. It’s as critical as roads, electricity, or healthcare, because it means people can cooperate, trust each other, and solve problems together. The Danes have a compulsory hour a week in school classes to teach empathy. That's something you learn in drama every week. StageSchool Ireland

Arts education for the next generation

John Lucey