Cool Japan: School Events

■Cool Japan: School Events 

NHK Cool Japan: "School Events" edition.

In the past, this program has highlighted the unique aspects of Japanese schools, such as students cleaning their own schools, taking turns serving lunch, and being enthusiastic about club activities, but the events they hold are also quite unique and interesting.

"Opening Ceremony"

After the spring, summer, and winter holidays, the school opening ceremony begins.

School is public and holidays are private, so you have to draw a line between public and private. It's important to make a line.

Summer vacation is especially different from overseas.

In many parts of the world, school starts in September, and there is a long period of time without homework as the school year changes.

In Japan, where students start school in April, summer vacation is in the middle of the school year, so there is homework.

What's more, independent research is difficult because you have to think of topics, and it can be difficult because parents get involved too.

There are many products available, such as independent study kits that include lab tools and craft equipment, and these have become a business.

"school trip"

They choose their own destinations, act independently, and use tablets.

School trips have also evolved.

Before Japan entered its period of rapid economic growth, ordinary people had low incomes and rarely had the opportunity to go on family trips.

The basic purpose of the school trip was for everyone to broaden their horizons.

As people have become more prosperous, more families are traveling, including overseas.

But school trips will never disappear.

Because it is a shared experience of our parents' generation.

He believes that the experiences he had as a student, spending days and nights together with others, have been beneficial to him.

As with club activities, activities other than studying subjects are positioned as an important part of education.

"Sports Festival"

It has been going for 60 years and is a local attraction that attracts as many as 5,000 people.

And to do it by hand is amazing. Hats off to you.

Moreover, they are graded and evaluated not only during the actual performance, but also during practice.

In other words, this is an "education" that emphasizes not just a one-off performance, but the process of growth.

There are many purposes for doing this, such as sharing values as a group or learning the importance of cooperation, but what's valuable is doing it while having fun.

This significance has been recognized, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has received requests from over 20 countries to help hold sports days.

Japan's sports festivals may spread throughout the world.

Actually, school "events" are not something you have to do.

It is not something that is required by the school, but something that is done voluntarily.

This is why they value that kind of education. That's why Japanese teachers have a hard time.

Thank you for your hard work.