WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT JAPANESE EDUCATION?

Almost all Japanese students are required to wear uniforms to school. While some schools have their own uniforms, the traditional uniforms are military-style jackets for boys and sailor suits for girls. Uniforms are an important element in helping to break down social barriers in schools for children.

The special thing about Japanese education makes the whole world jealous

For a long time, Japan has been considered a country with a standard education system where children are fully developed in both personality and knowledge. So what makes such a great education system for this country?

Japanese people are famous for their knowledge, longevity, politeness and good attitude towards life. Stories about the lives of Japanese people, from the smallest habits to the thoughts of the whole community, always make people admire.

To achieve these achievements in terms of human aspects, the land of the rising sun has invested in universal education since the previous centuries, and now many people have to take their hats off to this education system that is considered the standard. So what is the secret that makes Japanese education become an ideal model for the whole world to learn from?

Ethics is the core

Japan has become a country with advanced education thanks to the implementation of the criterion "human = morality", promoting independence and discipline.

Japanese ideology still bears the traditional cultural imprint of its people, morality is the core thing that a student must know first.

After the terrible earthquake in 2011, during the relief efforts, the Japanese did not jostle and scramble, nor did they fight over rations. On the contrary, they were tolerant of each other and waited patiently in line, knowing that when their turn came, there might be nothing left.

The story of a 9-year-old child who did not know the fate of his parents. In a time of hardship, hunger and cold, he stood in line waiting for food rations. An adult gave him a bag of dry food because he was afraid that when the child's turn came, the rations would run out.

The child carried the bag of dry food straight up to the people who were distributing food and put it in the food box, then went back to line up. When asked, the child replied that “Because there are many people who are probably hungrier than me.”

This and other touching stories quickly spread to the world outside of Japan. People all over the world are very proud and admire the Japanese people. The story of the child giving up his food rations is considered a “legend” by the media. Only a nation that considers morality as the foundation and traditional culture as the soul of its people can achieve such miracles.

Japanese education operates on the principle "Every learner will become a morally perfect individual."

The Japanese motto is “We must aim at creating a society where each citizen can hone his or her own personality…”.

Nigerian education expert Bassey Ubong, when studying Japanese education, stated that “Ethics also means a high sense of discipline reflected in the view that education is a path to a better life. From there, young people actively study, follow the standards of respect for everyone around them and participate in contributing to reducing the unemployment rate, everyone graduates and has a job.”

'Independent' thinking

Japanese education also aims at student independence. Each student can be independent in their studies and not rely on others to be able to integrate into an integration environment full of changing cultural values ​​and knowledge.

To equip students with independence, Japanese education emphasizes 'student-centered', helping students experience knowledge from reality rather than cramming knowledge. There are many types of books with different output standards to enhance students' critical thinking ability, stimulate exploration, and promote creativity.

In Japanese lessons, teachers cite sources, encourage students to find new sources of information, and encourage students to evaluate issues from different perspectives. This is one of the key reasons why the Japanese are among the top countries with the highest number of patents in the world, with countless brands that have lasted through the centuries.

No exam pressure

Like Finland, education in Japan does not put pressure on students to pass exams.

Japanese education is not organized in a way that “groups students with high scores together”. Schools also do not advocate “showing off” students’ academic results to everyone, because they believe that scores do not reflect the true abilities of children, and all students have the opportunity to study in an equal environment.

Japan does not place much emphasis on exams, the only official exams are for high school and university. There are also exams for grades 6 and 9, but these are to monitor the effectiveness of the education system, not to assess students' abilities.

Learn to be human before learning to gain knowledge

In Japanese schools, students do not have to take exams until they reach the fourth grade (age 4). In fact, they only have to take small tests. The Japanese believe that the first three years of elementary school are the time for children to personality training, building good virtues and developing people in a comprehensive directionChildren are taught to respect others, love animals and nature. The school also teaches them how to be generous, sympathetic and know how to share.

School year starts on April 1st

While schools around the world typically start in September or October, Japanese children start school in April. The timing of the new school year also coincides with cherry blossom season throughout Japan. That is why the Japanese choose that time to start a new school year, a new step in the life of students.

Most schools in Japan do not hire janitors. Students are expected to clean and maintain their own school.

In Japanese schools, students are expected to clean their classrooms, cafeterias, and even toilets by themselves. While doing so, they are divided into small groups and take turns cleaning during the year. This is a way to help them. practice teamwork skillsBesides, those seemingly dirty and sweaty jobs will help children know how to respect other people's work and the fruits of your own labor.

In Japanese schools, lunch is served with a standard menu and students eat in the classroom.

The Japanese education system goes to great lengths to ensure that children eat healthy and nutritious meals. In public schools, Meals are always prepared according to nutritional standards. by chefs and nutritionists. Students will eat together and with teachers. Thanks to this, The ability to engage students in class will be much higher.

Supplementary classes are very popular in Japan.

In order to prepare for entering a good high school, most Japanese students attend after-school tutoring at outside centers. These classes are held in the evening. It is quite common for Japanese students to return home late at night after their tutoring classes. In addition to the 3 hours of class time, they also attend extracurricular classes, even during holidays and weekends.

In addition to traditional subjects, Japanese students must learn calligraphy and poetry.

Japanese calligraphy, also known as Shodo, is associated with the image of a bamboo pen dipped in ink to write each curved stroke on rice paper. For the Japanese, Shodo is an art that is no longer very popular. Haiku is different; this is a traditional poetry genre that uses simple expressions to convey profound messages. Japanese children must learn the above to show respect for the country's long-standing culture and traditions.