First Community School in Japan Efforts by Adachi Ward Gotanno Elementary School, Tokyo
Gotanno Elementary School became the first ever Community School in Japan in November 2004. The School Management Council established at the school is known as the Gotanno Elementary School Council in accordance with the Adachi Ward regulations concerning School Management Councils, and the council is comprised of 11 members: three from the local community, three parents, four school staff and one person from the administration.
At Gotanno Elementary School, based on the opinions of the Council, active efforts are being made to interact with the community. Efforts include the following: () implementation of “power learning” for arithmetic, Japanese character reading and writing for 15 minutes each morning, designed to attune basic learning abilities; () development of a campaign to “greet people,” extending out to the wider community; and () classes on Saturdays run by local volunteers on computers and Japanese checkers, among other things.
These efforts have seen the ideas of parents, guardians and local residents reflected in school management through the medium of the council, in addition to which the school has been more effective in reaching out to actively call on families and the community. Thus, closer mutual cooperation has been borne out of the Community School model.
It is expected that such efforts will continue to expand around the country.
) implementation of “power learning” for arithmetic, Japanese character reading and writing for 15 minutes each morning, designed to attune basic learning abilities; (
) development of a campaign to “greet people,” extending out to the wider community; and (
) classes on Saturdays run by local volunteers on computers and Japanese checkers, among other things.