Learning to Live Together: The Japanese model of early years education

There is growing recognition worldwide of the link between preschool education and later learning. Countries in which formal schooling begins at age six (or seven) have been quicker to make this link than those countries where it begins at age five (or four), and to realise that the content and focus of early years education merits as much consideration as the level of provision. This paper argues that the Japanese model of early years education, in which the main focus is to prepare children for formal learning, is instrumental in enabling children to make comparatively fast progress once they begin elementary schooling. The understanding of group behaviour and the needs of other children that is developed in Japanese early years settings contributes to children's sharing of responsibility and their positive attitudes to learning observed in elementary school classrooms. In addition, the introduction to the routines of preschooling--anticipating those of elementary schooling--combined with free play and teacher-directed activities, help children to become more self-reliant and self-confident when they begin formal learning. Examples from recent direct observation of a number of preschool settings in Japan are provided to demonstrate that the foundation received there serves to bring children to a state of readiness for learning when they begin elementary schooling. Il y a une reconnaissance en croissance au niveau mondiale du lien entre l'e´ducation pre´scolaire et l'apprentissage poste´rieur. Les pays dans lesquels l'e´ducation formelle commence a ¤ six ans (ou sept ans) se sont rendus compte plus rapidement de cette connexion que les pays ou ¤ elle commence a ¤ cinq ans (ou quatre ans), et ils ont aussi aussi compris que le contenu et le focus de l'e´ducation me´ritent autant de conside´ration que le niveau de provision. Cet essai propose que le mode ¤ le japonais d'e´ducation de la petite enfance, dans lequel le focus principal est la preparation des enfants pour l'apprentissage formel, est instrumental pour rendre les enfants capable de faire un progre ¤ s comparativement vite une fois qu'ils commencent l'e´cole e´le´mentaire. La compre´hension du comportement de groupe et des besoins des autres enfants qui se de´veloppe dans les cadres japonais de la petit enfance contribue au partagement de responsabilite´ de la part des enfants et de leurs attitudes positives a ¤ l'apprentissage observe´es dans les salles de classe des e´coles e´le´mentaires. En plus, l'introduction aux routines pre´scolaires--en pre´voyant celles de l'e´cole e´le´mentaire--combine´es avec le jeu libre et les activite´s dirige´es par l'enseignant, aident les enfants a ¤ devenir plus autosuffisants et soi confiants quand ils commencent l'apprentissage formel. Des exemples re´centes d'observation directe de plusieurs cadres pre´scolaires au Japon sont fournis pour de´montrer que la base rec¸ue sert pour apporter des enfants a ¤ un e´tat d'empressement pour l'apprentissage quand ils commencent l'e´cole e´le´mentaire. Hay un creciente reconocimiento mundial de la coneccio´n entre la educacio´n preescolar y el aprendizaje posterior. Los pa L ´ses en los cuales la educacio´n formal comienza a los seis (o siete) an ¨ os han hecho esta coneccio´n ma´s rapidamente que los pa L ´ses donde e´sta comienza a los cinco (o cuatro) an ¨ os, y a darse cuenta que el contenido y el foco de la educacio´n de la primera infancia merecen tanta consideracio´n como el nivel de la provisio´n. Este ensayo argumenta que el modelo japone´s de la educacio´n de la primera infancia, en el cual el foco principal es preparar a los nin ¨ os para el aprendizaje formal, es instrumental en permitir a los nin ¨ os hacer un progreso relativamente ra´pido una vez que ellos comienzan la educacio´n primaria. El entendimiento del comportamiento de grupo y de las necesidades de los otros nin ¨ os que se desarrollan en los ambientes educacionales japoneses de la primera infancia contribuye al compartimiento de la responsabilidad de parte de los nin ¨ os y las actitudes positivas al aprendizaje observadas en las aulas de las escuelas primarias. Adema´s, la introduccio´n a las rutinas del preescolar--anticipando los de la escuela elemental--combinada con el juego libre y actividades dirigidas por el maestro, ayuda a los nin ¨ os a llegar a ser ma´s independientes y confiados en s L ´ mismos cuando comienzan el aprendizaje formal. Se proporcionan ejemplos de la observacio´n directa reciente de varios ambientes educacionales preescolares en el Japo´n que demuestran que la base recibida sirve para conducir a los nin ¨ os a un estado de prontitud para aprender cuando ellos comienzan la escuela primaria.     

Will it be possible to integrate young people in a society undergoing transformation?

Ph.D. Senior researcher at the Scientific Research Centre of the Institute of Youth (Moscow). Specialist in studies of youth policies and civil society. Author ofInternational experience of public support of the youth organizations (1995) andSituation and prospects of social voluntary action in Russia (1995).     

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