EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM & PRACTICE IN JAPAN

15	“V Classroom Management and Guidance”	Previous	Next	JAPANESE

	In Japan’s elementary schools that follow the grade system, internal group activities traditionally have been conducted among children of the same age (peer groups) based on grade levels and homerooms. However, recently the number of siblings in a single family has been decreasing. As a result, children have fewer opportunities to play with children of differing ages in their daily life. This leads to a diminishment of a local community’s bond. Therefore, in many elementary schools, small group activities spanning children of various ages have been introduced into the formal curriculum. Seniors play roles as older brothers and sisters of juniors. This is done through such activities as cleaning school premises and by taking excursions organized into small groups that consist of students from differing age levels, such as spanning 1st graders to 6th graders.