How about a journey back to childhood? Imagine the echoes of laughter that fill the air around Yokodo Elementary School. This isn’t just any school. It’s a place where countless children have taken their first steps into the world of learning.
Yokodo Elementary School plays a vital role. Elementary schools in Japan are compulsory. Every child must begin first grade in the April after they turn six. Starting school is a very important event in a child’s life.
Let’s step back in time to the Edo period. Some children attended terakoya or temple schools. Here, they learned practical skills. They focused on reading, writing, and calculation. The modern elementary school system began in 1886. It became compulsory education. Before and during World War II, state education served as propaganda. The Japanese fascist government used it.
Today, almost all elementary education happens in public schools. Tuition is free. Families pay for school lunches, supplies, and extra expenses. These may include additional books or lessons. Less than 1% of schools are private. Some private elementary schools are prestigious. They serve as a first step to higher-level private schools. These schools are affiliated with a university. Competition to enter these ladder schools is intense.
Classes at Yokodo Elementary School are typically large. There are often between thirty and forty students each. Students are organized into small work groups. These groups have both academic and disciplinary functions.
The curriculum is diverse. Academic subjects include Japanese language, social studies, arithmetic, and science. Japanese language is an emphasized subject. This is due to the complexity of the written language. It also recognizes the diversity of spoken forms in formal speech. English is now mandatory in 5th and 6th grade.
Nonacademic subjects include art and handicrafts. Students also learn music and haiku. Homemaking, physical education, and moral education are also taught. Children participate in special activities. These activities include class business. They also plan field trips and ceremonies. Special activities allow students to take an active role in the school community. They cultivate responsibility and a willingness to work together. This links back to moral education lessons. Students reflect on desirable practice. They consider other people’s perspectives. They cultivate a sense of consideration.
Information technology enhances education. Most schools have internet access. There is an educational television and radio system. Almost all elementary schools use programs prepared by NHK.
Daily life at Yokodo Elementary School is structured. Schools begin around 7:50 am. Lessons start at 8:30 am. Japanese schools do not have school buses. The school districts are small. Public transportation is available. The first fifteen minutes each day is for a school-wide assembly. It can also be for attendance and announcements in homeroom. Classes are between 40 and 45 minutes each. There is a break of 5 to 10 minutes in-between.
After four morning classes, students pick up their lunches. They bring their homeroom’s lunches from the school kitchens. Lunches are served in bento boxes. These boxes contain small portions of various freshly prepared foods. A typical meal consists of stew or curry, boiled vegetables, a sandwich, and salad. Milk is served with each meal. Dessert may include gelatin, ice cream, and fruit. Meals are eaten in the classroom with the teacher. This provides an opportunity to teach nutrition, health, good eating habits, and social behavior. All students eat the same lunch. They are assigned to shifts for serving lunch to their homeroom.
Some lower elementary school classes end after lunch. Children go home. Upper elementary students have one more class after lunch. Other schools have five or six classes per day. Younger students may not have a sixth period. Some schools allow for a 20-minute recess. This recess is used for cleaning the classrooms. Students sweep, mop, and throw away trash. Students usually leave school around three o’clock. After-school clubs meet once a week.
Yokodo Elementary School represents more than just education. It represents community. It embodies the spirit of learning and growth that shapes young minds. As we leave, let’s carry a piece of that spirit with us.