Imparting Empathy: An Essential Component of Education

Among the five traditional Chinese virtues – benevolence (仁 in Chinese), righteousness (义), propriety (礼), wisdom (智), and trustworthiness (信) – benevolence holds the highest rank. Similar to philanthropy in Western culture, it boasts a long history and is revered as a symbol of traditional Chinese morality. Upholding benevolence stands as the core value in our traditional Confucianism, and it forms the bedrock of ancient Chinese moral beliefs and principles.

Deeply ingrained in traditional Chinese culture, the holistic education provided at BRS goes beyond merely improving students’ academic performance. More importantly, it instills in them the values of humanity and a sense of social responsibility. These values embody the mission of imparting moral principles (以德施教 in Chinese), one of the four foundational pillars of the BRS philosophy.

Empathy holds a pivotal role in shaping responsible and supportive community members, both within BRS and beyond. It also equips our students to excel academically and professionally in their lives beyond BRS by enabling them to connect with others and fostering collaboration.

This is why we place such great importance on nurturing empathy in our students. It’s seamlessly integrated into the day-to-day practices of a BRS education.

Creating a Respectful School Climate

Recently, BRS’s Publicity Office initiated a campaign against verbal violence by placing a blackboard on the wall of the school’s Teaching Hub. It featured just one simple question: “What are the most hurtful words you’ve ever heard?”

We observed that many students paused during lunch as they passed by and took a moment to write heartfelt words on the board.

We’ve all likely encountered such hurtful words, whether unintentionally or intentionally, in interactions between parents and children, classmates, or on social networks. These words, however, have the potential to inflict harm.

Studies have demonstrated that creating a caring classroom or school climate is one of the most effective methods for preventing bullying in the first place. When students can empathize with others, they gain a better understanding of how their words and actions impact others. This leads to more positive relationships with classmates and teachers, as well as a heightened sense of social responsibility. It’s important to remember that words are not weapons, but they can hurt.

Imparting Empathy through Art Studies

Art studies offer a wonderful avenue for staying engaged and informed about the world. What’s even better is when students start to delve deeper into the world around them and express their thoughts through creative art forms.

In one of our junior high school art classes, the teacher encouraged students to use collage art to deconstruct and reconstruct the theme given: “My War.” The theme allowed for a multi-dimensional interpretation of “war,” which could refer to the conventional definition of war or a person’s internal conflict. This freedom of interpretation unleashed our students’ imagination.

What astonishes us is the level of thinking exhibited by these 14 or 15-year-old middle school students. Through their artwork, centered around such a theme, they conveyed a strong sense of sincerity, compassion, empathy, and the courage to confront life’s hardships. This demonstrates our students’ civic awareness and social concern.

Indeed, this is the beauty of arts education. At BRS, art education serves as a means of quality education, not only enhancing students’ aesthetics but also opening their sensory world. This empowers them to learn to listen, observe, and perceive with their hearts.

From Empathy to Action

The true essence of empathy remains somewhat of an enigma. In the words of Daniel Goleman, “True compassion means not only feeling another’s pain but also being moved to help relieve it.” This form of empathy involves comprehending how others feel and why they feel that way, and then taking action to alleviate their suffering. This aligns with the concept of the “Unity of Knowledge and Action” (“知行合一” in Chinese), a significant doctrine proposed by the Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1529).

At BRS, students engage in reflection about empathy and their responsibility to address suffering and injustice in society at large. Since March, our students have been involved in a series of service activities, reaching out to a local children’s center called “Warm Home” (暖暖之家 in Chinese) for underprivileged children in Beijing.

March: BRS students engage in games with the children of Warm Home to foster healthy social interaction.

April: BRS students teach the children of Warm Home how to create moon-shaped fans.

May: BRS IB students and the Club Association jointly organize a charity sale, raising over 2,000 yuan, which is donated to the Warm Home.

June: BRS Youth League stages a hand puppet drama show for the Warm Home.

September: IB students spend a Mid-Autumn Festival at the Warm Home, making moon cakes with the children.

The mission of BRS is to challenge and empower students to become compassionate and inspired individuals who act for the greater good and the positive development of the world. Empathy may not come naturally, but we are dedicated to nurturing it.