Elementary School (Amirali)

Raised and educated in a third-world developing country I had a different perception about the elementary schooling education system. However, these perceptions were modified and shaped drastically when I visit an elementary school in Tokyo, Japan. Almost everything I knew of was given a new dimension. Compared to what I had previously known, this was way cooler!

In developing countries, the school structure is mostly a residential plot; thus, it usually has a small cemented playground and cramped classrooms. On the contrary, elementary schools in Japan provide an ideal place to nurture children with broad, airy classrooms and a wide playground for recreational activities. Moreover, what I found cool was the excessive usage of magnets which help to hold charts on the board rather than the instructor holding it with no hand to write on the board simultaneously. This is rarely founds in the schools I have been to.

Fortunately 99% of children in Japan gain elementary education, but what is most important is the level of knowledge and confidence these children have. I had the opportunity to conduct a session in an elementary school in Tokyo with children aged 9-10 years. Contrary to my expectations, they were way smarter. They prepared for the session with adequate research before the session, participated actively and were eager to learn more. Watching young children, the leaders of tomorrow, being groomed in this extra-ordinary way seems so cool and gives a feeling of happiness.

Another cool thing that is a norm in most elementary schools in Japan, and which is rare practice in most developing countries, is that is it the school’s responsibility to give out lunch to students in the Lunch Break. Being exposed to this idea for the first time, initially I felt a little strange; however, later I realized how cool this practice is. All students align the chairs and tables in a way to make small groups and eat together. Everyday new students have a turn to serve the lunch which in itself is learning. Eating the same food together gives a sense of solidarity and most importantly eliminates the social strata amongst the students. As the Vice Principal of the school said to me, “In this way, the students coming from poor financial backgrounds do NOT need to hide their lunch boxes thinking that their lunch is inferior than that of others. Everyone is equal”. I found this a cool way to create a sense of solidarity as a moral value amongst children right from elementary schooling years. I hope this practice can be adopted by the education system in all countries.