Key concepts that promote success
Recently I have written about the success of Finnish schools and I believe we have a lot to learn by looking outward and examining what our colleagues in education are achieving in other parts of the world. So today I turn attention to Japan. There are a number of key aspects of the Japanese education system that provide food for thought:
1) Manners before knowledge. In Japanese schools, the students don’t take any exams until they reach the age of 10. They just take small tests. It is believed that the goal for the first 3 years of school is not to judge the hild’s knowledge or learning, but to establish good manners and to develop their character. Children are taught to respect other people and to be gentle to animals and nature. They also learn how to be generous, compassionate and empathetic. Besides this, pupils are taught qualities like grit, self-control, and justice. Our recent enrichment week at Longdon focused on manners and etiquette, and the launch of our Ethical Leadership Programme, clearly reflect these virtues here in Lichfield.
2) Most Japanese schools do not employ janitors or custodians. The students clean their school themselves. In Japanese schools, students have to clean the classrooms, cafeterias and even toilets all by themselves. When cleaning, students are divided into small groups and assigned tasks that rotate throughout the year. The Japanese education system believes that requiring students to clean up after themselves teaches them to work in a team and help each other. Besides, spending their own time and effort sweeping, mopping, and wiping makes pupils respect their own work and the work of others. Clearly respect for our learning environment is essential and vibrant classroom displays and well-ordered classrooms all play their part.
3) In Japanese schools, school lunch is provided on a standardised menu. The Japanese education system does its best to ensure that the students eat healthy and balanced meals. All classmates eat together with the teacher. This helps build positive teacher-student relationships. Lunchtime here at the Cathedral School has a similar feel with teachers, support staff and students all dining together. It is amazing what useful conversations take place over ‘the dish of the day’ and all of these interactions help build the family atmosphere that we so value.
4) After-school workshops are very popular in Japan. In order to get into a good junior high school, most Japanese students enter a preparatory school or attend private after-school workshops. The classes in these schools are held in the evenings. Seeing groups of small kids returning from their extracurricular courses late in the evening is common in Japan. Japanese students have an 8-hour school day, but apart from that they study even during the holidays and on weekends. At the Cathedral School we have long held dear the value of additional revision workshops in the holidays, in particular for our public examination pupils and the popularity and diversity of our extracurricular provision allows pupils to flourish holistically.
5) Apart from traditional subjects, Japanese students also learn Japanese calligraphy and poetry. Japanese calligraphy, or Shodo, involves dipping a bamboo brush in ink and using it to write hieroglyphs on rice paper. For Japanese people, Shodo is an art that is no less popular than traditional painting. Haiku, on the other hand, is a form of poetry that uses simple expressions to convey deep emotions to readers. Both classes teach children to respect their own culture and centuries-old traditions. This statement made me smile as we are blessed to live and work in such a culturally-rich place as Lichfield. It is impossible for our pupils to be a member of the school and not be imbued daily by the culture and traditions of the place with these medieval stones, carvings and paintings around us.
6) Nearly all students have to wear a school uniform. Almost all junior high schools require their students to wear school uniforms. While some schools have their own attire, traditional Japanese school uniform consists of a military style for boys and a sailor outfi t for girls. The uniform policy is intended to remove barriers and get them into a working mood. It also helps to promote a sense of community among the children. I think we can all agree what a smart sight our pupils provide in their Cathedral School uniform. Such a sense of identity and belonging adds further to our sense of family and togetherness.
Clearly behind all of these factors must lie robust and eff ective teaching and learning, but it is hugely insightful to realise that what stands many of the educationally-successful nations apart is that which we already embrace in the independent education sector and we are truly blessed to be able to do so.
