Nej A New Approach To Elementary Japanese

[Filomeno Robles]

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The Japanese school system has the most holistic approach to teaching you will ever see. Instead of solely being a center for academic education, they teach kids life skills and discipline, unlike any other system in the world.

The main area where a Japanese system differs from the other systems is the emphasis they place on ethics and morals. Their system includes 6 years of elementary school followed by 3 years of junior high, 3 years of high school, and then 4 years of university.

With a 99.9% literacy rate as per a survey in 2019, Japan has one of the leading systems of education. Education in subjects of mathematics, language, and now STEAM, coding, and robotics begins from an early age of 6 and continues till 16 years, which is the age cap on compulsory education in Japan.

This education system of Japan has led the country to form a stable government, a widely literate population, and success in the internationally competitive economical market. There is something to be learnt from that. So here in this article, we have compiled a few aspects of the Japanese education system that we should all apply into the educational systems of our countries, so perhaps we can improve the quality of education and literacy rate in our countries.

The Japanese education system is very disciplined and organized. With the school year divided into three terms, the students have a total of 6 weeks of holidays, and they have to study during that time as well. The regular school day is 6 hours long with many more after-school activities and homework to do.

From a young age, the kids are taught to respect the teachers and the elders in the community. The subjects covered in a Japanese school include the traditional social studies, science, mathematics, home economics, and the new subjects also include STEAM education, coding, and robotics as well.

The special feature of the Japanese system of education is their focus on all-around growth and development of kids and not just academia. The home economics studies teach basic life skills such as cooking, sewing, and fixing stuff around the house.

The Japanese system of education is quite different from western school systems. For instance, almost all schools require students to wear a uniform which is a rarity in other parts of the world. Some other interesting features of a Japanese school include

Students are required to have two pairs of shoes in the uniform, one is an outdoor pair and the other is an indoor pair. The mud and dirt from the outside do not make it inside the school doors. There is a separate changing area at the entrance where kids leave the outdoor shoes (neatly in assigned boxes I might add) and put on the indoor ones.

This is almost unheard of in the other countries of the world but is a very usual thing for the Japanese. When you look deeply into this, this practice is superbly hygienic and promotes cleanliness in kids.

The lunches provided in schools are not hotdogs or a packet of potato chips, rather nutritional meals designed by health experts are served in schools. Instead of water or soda, kids are given milk to take with the food for extra nutrition. This school lunch is standardized and includes a portion of all major food groups. Vegetables, meat, and fiber are all included and kids eat the same thing throughout the year.

Instead of compulsory education until high school that is K-12; Japanese kids are only required by law to be in school until the age of 16 years. Afterward, higher education is a choice and even then 96% of the students choose to continue and get a high school diploma. This is because the value of education is emphasized upon from a very young age and so kids are motivated to study even when they are not required to do so by law.

Besides having the longest school days as compared to other educational systems Japan makes sure that the resources allocated to the schools are utilized most efficiently. The teachers hired are dedicated and exceptionally respected plus paid well; this is the sign of their high status in the community. Some other aspects of the Japanese school systems that we can all learn from include:

In western schools, the culture is for the students to shift between classrooms for different subjects. For the most part, no student attends two separate subject classes in the same room. But the Japanese system does this the other way around; instead of the students, the teachers are the ones who move between classes all day long. The students have one classroom assigned for the entire year where they take all the classes. Except for the PT, computer classes, science lab or STEM education classes that require a lab or the outdoors.

While on the topic of classrooms, it is worth mentioning the organization and dcor of a Japanese class. The posters on the walls and the furniture are all an appropriate representation of the goals of education; which is to teach traditional subjects all the while teaching self-discipline, cleanliness, order, character and good moral behavior

From food to curriculum and uniforms everything is done according to one set of rules to maintain uniformity across all schools. Wearing a uniform is compulsory for higher grades in all private and public schools. The benefit of this approach is to disregard any social barriers the kids might experience with expensive branded clothing and accessories.

Uniformity in everything creates a sense of community between the students and the teachers. It teaches discipline. The similarity in clothing and eating habits is something inherent to the Japanese culture.

The reason why Japanese schools do well is that the principals, teachers, lawmakers, and parents understand and agree upon the same set of goals, there is uniformity in what they want to achieve and they work together to provide all the resources to the students. Recognizing the importance of a consistent system of education has allowed Japan to make tremendous progress in schools, and that is what we all need to apply in our systems as well.

An admirable feature of the Japanese school system is their approach to teaching responsibility from a very young age. Students as young as 10-years-old are given chores and tasks to complete around the school. It is a part of the curriculum and not optional to accept and reject the duties assigned.

To teach responsibility, tasks assigned include serving lunch to other students, cleaning the classrooms, and going home after school by yourself. Kids are responsible for showing up to class on time. Being late is frowned upon and seldom happens. The news lens and the social studies website have details on how to give responsibility to young kids the Japanese way.

When kids are given tasks to do around the school, they feel a sense of belonging to the place. Having to take care of the space makes them care about it more and they are motivated to keep it clean.

Children learn and do more when they know what is expected of them. By giving these small jobs to kids they realize that they are expected to take care of society as if it were their home. Responsibility also sets high expectations from kids, in turn, they tend to expect more from themselves and strive to achieve more. By giving all the kids the same level of responsibility, the system shows them that all kids have the same potential to be great. No kid is marked as being less than. This allows kids to explore their potential freely.

The teachers have a lot of duties to handle in a Japanese school system. From helping kids with classwork to after-school coaching teachers are very busy throughout the week. Staff rooms are for teachers to prepare lesson plans and take a break between classes.

Any student that missed a lesson for some reason, or is lagging behind the other students in the class can take private lessons from the teachers in the staff rooms. Due to this vigilant care and extra effort by the teachers, a student rarely repeats a grade, and the entire class graduates on time along with the mates they enrolled with. Nippon and cosmonication have more information on what the teachers are required to do in Japan.

A teacher must conduct himself in a way that reflects the values the school is trying to instil in the kids. Disciple and integrity in a teacher are translated into the behavior of the students. While a teacher gives lessons on traditional subjects, his attitude towards different situations gives a moral education to kids, so the teachers are required to keep in mind how they unconsciously affect students.

Extracurricular activities also include sports and after school preparatory classes. The after school programs are mostly for older kids looking to apply to high schools and universities. Prep scholars and Tokyo creators kids have various after school activities you can start in your school.

While kids are encouraged to participate in extracurricular, the school is always clear on the main goal of education which is to improve cognition and independence in kids. Schools are clear on the fact that they are not sports centers or musical institutions, so the primary goal is not to make the kids proficient in physical activities or playing instruments. For that, the kids have a choice to go to vocational schools after the completion of compulsory education after the age of 16.

To get into the studying mindset the classes all start and end with a ritual where the students greet the teacher and bow to show respect, then request the teacher to teach them. These words include kiritsu (stand up); Rei (bow) and chakuseki (sit down). After the lesson is over they stand up to respect the teacher for the effort and energy put in teaching. The teacher thanks the students at the end of class before the students are dismissed.

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