The majority of us gained our understanding of compassion and empathy from members of our families.

However, one school in Ireland is pioneering a novel approach by relieving its pupils of schoolwork for the whole of one month and instead requiring them to do “acts of kindness.”

The children who attend Gaelscoil Mhchl Ui Choileain in Clonakilty were given “acts of kindness” to do in place of “conventional homework” for a period of at least one month.

On Mondays, the students are given the assignment to reach out to a senior citizen and engage in conversation with them.

They are entrusted with making the life of a member of the family easier on Tuesdays by doing anything such as taking over a duty or offering assistance to someone or in something without being asked.

On Thursdays, people are encouraged to do something compassionate for themselves or take care of their own well-being, while Wednesdays are reserved for doing random acts of kindness to others.

In the weeks leading up to the break, the teachers encourage the kids to record any acts of kindness that they do in a “Kindness Diary.”

The institution even has a “Kindness Box” for the students to use, in which they may jot down and deposit encouraging comments and affirmations for their fellow students to help them feel better about themselves.

On Friday mornings, the instructor will choose a few student notes at random and then read them aloud to the class. In addition to this, the teachers have entrusted each group of students with doing a group act of charity for the local community.

The students will initially work in groups to come up with solutions to problem, which will subsequently be carried out. The one-of-a-kind educational program has been in use for the last three years and the outcome is quite promising.