HYDERABAD: A 40-member Telangana delegation led by School Education Director Dr E Naveen Nicolas studied Japan’s school education practices during a five-day exposure visit and educational exchange programme.
According to officials, the delegation visited the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) from September 5 to 9 and interacted with officials of the National Institute of Educational Policy Research (NIER), focusing on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment reforms. It also met India’s Ambassador to Japan, Nagam Mohamed Mallik, at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo to discuss educational cooperation and exchange.
The visit offered the Telangana team insights into an education system that places considerable emphasis on children’s development beyond academic achievement. Japanese schools focus on physical, social, emotional and moral development, while discipline, punctuality, respect and responsibility are incorporated into everyday school life.
One of the practices that drew the delegation’s attention was lesson study, in which teachers jointly plan lessons, observe classroom teaching and reflect on the outcomes. The practice is used as a means of continuous professional development and improving classroom learning.
Students are also assigned responsibilities beyond classroom learning.
They participate in cleaning their classrooms and school premises, while school lunches are used to promote lessons on nutrition, hygiene and healthy eating. Learning relies on group activities, discussions, projects, experiments and other practical experiences rather than textbooks alone.