International Education Seminar “Connecting Classrooms and the World – Tackling SDGs in Schools”
In August 2024, EDU-Port Japan held an international education seminar in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, entitled “Connecting Classrooms and the World – Tackling SDGs in Schools” for elementary, junior high and high school teachers and other educators.
The seminar showcased some examples of initiatives conducted under EDU-Port Japan projects, in which Japanese and other countries’ schools are connected to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The seminar also gave participants the opportunity to consider the significance of these SDG initiatives with a global perspective in Japanese schools.
Report
■Support for initiatives in Aichi schools
Mr. Noriyuki Takai (Chief Officer, Home Education & Community Collaboration Support Group, Aichi Learning Division, Aichi Prefectural Board of Education)
Mr. Takai gave a talk on the support provided by Aichi Prefectural Board of Education for SDG-related initiatives in schools, focusing primarily on UNESCO Schools (Note 1). He also spoke about the initiatives undertaken by different departments in Aichi Prefectural Government and about the future challenges.
(Summary)
Aichi Prefectural Board of Education aims to enhance ESD (Note 2) activities undertaken by schools in the prefecture to achieve the SDGs by supporting the activities of UNESCO Schools, to which 83 schools in the prefecture belong as of June 2024. The Board of Education holds a UNESCO Schools Support Conference twice a year and supports member schools’ activities and networking. Additionally, it promotes ESD initiatives and collaboration among related organizations by dispatching lecturers from schools, NPOs and other organizations engaged in advanced activities to member schools.
Aichi Prefecture as a whole is also proactively tackling the SDGs. By connecting schools with companies and organizations registered as Aichi SDGs Partners, the prefecture aims to foster “school-centered community-building” and “school-community co-development.” Furthermore, the prefecture promotes continuous and proactive environmental learning through initiatives such as the Environmental Learning Coordinator and Aichi Eco Teacher programs.
While awareness of the SDGs is high, understanding of ESD is not yet widespread. As a result, teachers feel burdened, thinking they have to do something new. However, ESD has already been widely incorporated into educational activities in Japanese schools. It is important to position and give meaning to these activities as contributing to the SDGs. Aichi Board of Education aims to serve as a bridge to encourage private companies and local human resources outside of schools to participate in school educational activities.
(Note 1) UNESCO Schools are schools that are members of the Associated Schools Network (ASPnet), an international network founded to practically implement the ideals of UNESCO in schools. As of April 2024, there are 1,088 UNESCO ASPnet member schools in Japan, serving as key institutions for promoting education for sustainable development (ESD).
(Source: UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet) in Japan)
(Note 2) ESD is an abbreviation for Education for Sustainable Development. It implies education that brings about a change in values and behavior that can lead to problem-solving, and that fosters the builders of a sustainable society.
(Source: MEXT : ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)
■Expanding environmental education abroad using actual CO2 concentration data – Promoting the Zero Carbon School initiative
Professor Masakazu Ito (Specially Appointed Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Environmental Management, Nagoya Sangyo University)
Professor Ito gave a talk on expanding an environmental education project selected as an EDU-Port Japan 2021 Supported Project and 2023 Research Project to Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal, and on the changes in the awareness and behavior of the students who participated in the project.
(Summary)
Nagoya Sangyo University launched an environmental education research project using actual CO2 concentration data as teaching material in 2003, and to date, over 8,000 students from 227 elementary, junior high and high schools, both in Japan and overseas, have participated in the project.
The goal of this project is to popularize environmental education that encourages behavioral changes in order to create carbon-neutral communities by measuring CO2 concentrations around schools, mapping the data, and visualizing familiar CO2 absorption and emission sources. By expanding the initiative, which began in Japan, to Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal, we aim to foster global citizenship and form partnerships through school-to-school interaction.
Our current aim is to promote the spread of Zero Carbon Schools that work toward carbon neutrality in school life through initiatives such as school greening, eco-renovations, and energy-saving activities. Three schools in Japan, together with one school in Taiwan and one in Indonesia, are working together to develop model cases.
Anyone who is interested in this project is welcome to participate. It is our hope to further expand the Zero Carbon School initiative.
The CO2 concentration survey around the school gave the students an opportunity to learn about the important role played by trees. This understanding led to their taking part in tree planting and other greening activities, and further aroused their interest in environmental issues across Nepal.
<Message from Mr. Chen, Chien-Hung, part-time teacher at Kaohsiung Girls’ Senior High School (Taiwan)>
The students who participate in the activities are able to propose their own research topics, design and conduct experiments, and present their findings, such as comparing CO2 emissions calculated from the school’s electricity consumption with the estimated CO2 absorption by the plants on campus. The students have a strong sense of accomplishment, with feedback such as, “We were able to go beyond just environmental education and actively engage in discussions and give presentations,” “The project led to interaction with experts and students from other countries,” and “It was an extremely valuable experience.”
■“We are ready! Connecting with classrooms in Cambodia now” – Sustainable ways to connect, learn together and get started
Professor Makoto Kageto (Visiting Professor, Nihon Fukushi University, and Advisor, Uchidayoko Institute for Education Research)
Professor Kageto has been engaged in educational projects in Cambodia since 2010, particularly promoting ICT-based education. After talking about the progress of the projects, he described the current state of school education in Cambodia through a dialogue with Ms. Chanseyha Hun.
(Summary)
In Cambodia, serious issues with teaching have led to approximately 20% of students repeating a grade even at the primary education level.
We have provided Cambodian teachers with English and mathematics teaching materials created with input from Japanese university and junior and high school students, and have supported the creation of Khmer-language teaching materials. These materials are available on the Cambodia Kids website (https://www.camkids.net/) to ensure they are widely accessible to teachers. Under a JICA grassroots technical cooperation project, “Enhancement of ICT-Education among local model schools led by Teacher training Center (PTTC) （2022-2025）”, we distributed projectors to the target schools with the aim of creating a situation where “every school can provide the same quality of lessons as long as they have electricity and access to the internet.” Under an ongoing EDU-Port Japan Supported Project, printers have been introduced to allow students to take their homework home. Through these efforts, we hope to realize the concept of “no one left behind,” a key principle of Japanese education, in Cambodia. We are already seeing positive results, including a reduction in grade repetition rates.
The Japanese university and junior and high school students involved in creating the teaching materials have been given the opportunity to actually visit Cambodia and learn about its education system. Many of them return with a strong sense of contributing to achievement of the SDGs and continue to engage in activities after returning to Japan.
The salary of public school teachers in Cambodia is about $300 per month, and many teachers, after finishing work at their main school in the morning, work at private schools in the afternoon. Therefore, they have no time to do research on and prepare their teaching materials. The introduction of the projectors, however, has resulted in the students participating in lessons with more interest than before. By distributing handouts, they have also become more proactive in doing their homework.
■The change in awareness among students caused by overseas SDGs projects and actions as a teacher
Mr. Itaru Matsuno (teacher at Ichimura Senior High School Attached to Nagoya University of Economics)
Mr. Matsuno gave a talk about support activities for refugees from Cambodia and around the world at Ichimura Senior High School Attached to Nagoya University of Economics, a UNESCO Member School, and about the change in awareness among Japanese students and the Taiwanese students who are working with them.
(Summary)
Ichimura Senior High School is working with experts, stakeholders from private companies, and overseas educators to incorporate international aid into its educational activities, helping students develop a sense of self-worth that “we too can be of help to others and contribute to the SDGs as global citizens.” Specifically, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the school donated playground equipment to schools in impoverished areas of Cambodia, during the pandemic it donated masks and soap, and more recently, it has been working on installing handwashing stations.
The school is also engaged in supporting refugee women from Syria and Palestine, providing students with the experience of connecting with countries around the world by introducing and selling the handcrafts made by refugees in Japan. These activities are carried out in collaboration not only with partner schools in Japan but also with high schools in South Korea and Taiwan.
A survey conducted among the students revealed that before participating in the activities, only 40% felt that they were helping to solve international problems, but after participating in the activities, this increased to 95%. Additionally, 95% of the students responded that they wanted to continue engaging in the activities and that they had become more interested in world events and issues than before. As a result of learning about the real world and providing what support they could, students showed a significant change in their awareness, particularly an improvement in their sense of self-worth.
A similar survey was conducted among the Taiwanese students, and the percentage of students who felt that they were helping to solve international problems increased from 30% before participating in the activities to 100% after participating. Likewise, all the students who took part in the activities have become more interested in world events/issues and their motivation to continue with the activities has increased.
After the presentation of some case examples, a panel discussion entitled “The significance of addressing the SDGs from a global perspective ” was held, moderated by Professor Shoko Yamada from the Graduate School of International Development at Nagoya University.
In response to a question about what kind of changes had occurred in the students who had been involved in the SDG initiatives, the panelists gave the following answers: “The students became aware that they too could connect with other countries and contribute to the SDGs,” “The teachers who took part in the initiatives began thinking about how to incorporate this experience into their subject teaching,” and “By working together to overcome problems, the students and teachers developed a strong sense of solidarity.”
The participants also shared their feedback with comments such as, “It was great to learn about cases where SDG initiatives have led to actual behavioral changes in students,” and “By connecting with the world, we can achieve education that prepares future generations for the challenges ahead. I would like to work towards achieving Japanese education that allows every teacher to reach their goals, even if they are not a special one.”
