NOB_Kamareddy:The education system in Japan, which focuses on holistic development of students through discipline, moral values and responsibility alongside academics, has impressed teachers from Telangana.
P. Praveen Kumar, Physics Teacher at ZPHS Boys High School, Chinnamallareddy, and K. Indira, Teacher at ZPHS Kondapur, Kamareddy district, observed the system during their visit to Japan from September 5th to 12th as part of the Teachers Exposure Visit and Educational Exchange Programme organized by the Telangana State Department of School Education.
The team observed that school education in Japan is structured into four stages – Elementary (Grade 1-6), Junior High School (Grade 7-9), Senior High School (Grade 10-12), and University education.
Sharing their observations, the teachers said Japanese classrooms are student-centric. Students are encouraged to question, discuss and express their opinions, with emphasis not on how much they memorize, but on how they understand and apply knowledge.
Instead of rote learning, teaching is done through projects, experiments and group activities. In science, students learn by observing, questioning and analyzing results themselves.
Another striking feature was students cleaning their own classrooms and school premises. This practice, they said, instills responsibility, self-reliance and respect for others.
Moral education is integrated into daily school life, with focus on honesty, punctuality, cooperation and perseverance. The goal is to create not just a high-scoring student, but a good human being and responsible citizen.
The teachers also noted continuous professional development of teachers through joint lesson planning and peer observation, equal importance to sports and arts, early disaster management training through mock drills, and use of technology as a tool to strengthen teaching, not replace the teacher.
“The Japanese experience will help us strengthen existing initiatives like experiential learning, Atal Tinkering Labs and digital teaching in Telangana government schools,” said Praveen Kumar.
