Birmingham pupils are increasingly being taught a new core skill alongside literacy and numeracy - how to read emotions.
Lessons in emotional literacy - which involve learning how to listen, connect with other people and deal with inner emotions, already feature at many schools in the city.
City education chiefs are now calling on the Government to make the skill a part of the National Curriculum to ensure pupils learn how to interact with each other in a civil manner.
They believe emotional literacy, which is sometimes referred to as emotional intelligence, will help reduce bullying and be influential in raising attainment.
Birmingham City Council's head of education Tony Howell said: "It is about teaching children how to understand their feelings and connect with their own emotions or those of other pupils.
"Some of our children who are from extremely challenging backgrounds are very good at talking about their feelings and the feelings of others.
"Emotional literacy involves connecting with one's own feelings and behaviour and how to interact with other people's behaviour. Sometimes it is just learning how to talk about these things, but also it is about how to approach other people.
"We want it promoted as one of the things that should be part of the National Curriculum." Emotional literacy is a relatively new concept in the education world.
The Southampton Emotional Literacy Interest Group (SELIG) defines it as: "The ability to recognise, understand, handle and appropriately express emotions".
Educational psychologists say children who have been taught such skills are:
* Are more likely to recognise and understand their feelings and therefore become more adept at handling and expressing themselves
* Less stressed, and are able to manage competing demands more effectively
* Better listeners and more likely to see the other person's point of view
* An increased attention span
* Better able to form and maintain relationships
* Less likely to be involved in crime, particularly those crimes involving violence
* More likely to become better parents
Emotional intelligence lessons was identified as one of the ways to crack down on bullying during a Government conference held at Birmingham's Aston Villa Stadium yesterday.
Hundreds of headteachers and educationalists gathered at the event organised by the Department for Education and Skills.
Schools Minister Ivan Lewis, who was himself bullied at school, said research showed about half of pupils at both primary and secondary level identify bullying as a major problem in their school.
TV presenter Esther Rantzen, founder and chair of children's charity ChildLine, said: "It is the biggest single problem people ring us about.
"Last year we had 22,000 calls about bullying. Children suffer long-term damage if they are the target of persistent bullying.
"It is no good schools having an anti-bullying policy that is there on the shelf to be pointed to if the inspector calls - it has to be active and effective."
