“Oh, you’re both angry today, we’ll try to find a solution.” Élise Tapsoba, teacher at the Gustave Rouanet school in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, immediately puts her foot down in the speaking circle set up on Thursday April 4 in the morning. Because Marthe, 6 years old, seems upset. With furrowed eyebrows and crossed arms, she explains that she is angry with her comrade: “I don’t like it when Makdas annoys me. When I go somewhere, she always follows me. »
Putting words to your emotions to avoid drama, jostling and tears is a daily learning experience in this establishment. “Children in kindergarten are still very attentive and it must become a habit. So you might as well start as early as possible,” explains Élise Tapsoba. For almost 10 years, his establishment has set up “empathy courses” taught in the form of games or workshops lasting around twenty minutes.
Preventing school bullying
And “it’s not just a school subject,” recalls Élise Tapsoba. To be a good citizen and live in society, we need empathy.” Message received for the students in his major section class. “Sometimes I pay attention to my friends, because children are very fragile”, confides Aïcha, 6 years old, before adding: “When they are sad because their mother is not there, I caress them , and sometimes when they hurt themselves, I stroke them on the back.
While there is not just one effective method, developing children’s psychosocial skills is a major issue that could help prevent school bullying. Since January, the government has therefore distributed its own “educational kit for empathy sessions” to nearly 1,200 establishments. A pilot measure for the moment, which should be generalized in nursery and elementary schools from September.
So, what does an empathy course in kindergarten look like? Go to the video at the top of this article for the full report.