Feature JAPAN AND AFRICA: STRENGTHENING BONDS

Tokkatsu
Taking Root
in Egypt A classroom discussion at a
public school in Giza that is
implementing mini-tokkatsu

In recent years, an increasing number of schools in education. Because Egyptian schools conduct strict
Egypt have introduced Japanese-style education, examinations for promotion and graduation, classes
notably tokubetsu katsudo, “special activities” emphasizing rote memorization and examinations
known for short as tokkatsu. are quite common. That is why there was grow-
ing concern that schools did not provide sufficient
OSAMU SAWAJI opportunity to foster social and emotional skills,
such as cooperative mindsets, discipline, and morals.

J
apanese elementary schools, junior high Amid this situation, Egyptian President Abdel-
schools and high schools conduct educational Fattah El-Sisi’s attention was drawn to Japanese
activities called “special activities,” known in education, which fosters cooperative mindsets and
Japanese as tokubetsu katsudo, or tokkatsu for discipline. This triggered an Egyptian request to
short. The Courses of Study, the public educational Japan for cooperation in introducing Japanese-style
guidelines, stipulate that effective group activities education. In 2016, the Japanese and Egyptian gov-
aim at the well-balanced development of mind and ernments signed the Egypt-Japan Education Partner-
body and the encouragement of individuality. More ship for jointly promoting an introduction of experi-
specifically, these special activities involve student ence and know-how from Japanese-style education
activities such as classroom discussion (gakkyu kai), into Egyptian schools. In 2017, based on this partner-
in which students discuss a range of topics including ship, projects for introducing Japanese-style educa-
school events and class issues, one-day classroom tion were implemented by the Japan International
coordinators (nichoku), who clean the blackboard and Cooperation Agency (JICA), starting with twelve
make announcements before and after classes, and public elementary and junior high schools in Cairo
cleaning classrooms, corridors, and school grounds. and its neighboring prefectures being designated as
These are a characteristic part of Japanese education. pilot schools, and experts in school management and
Recently, there has been an increase in the number tokkatsu being sent from Japan.
of schools in Egypt that have introduced elements Taro Kakehashi of the Human Development
of Japanese-style education, including tokkatsu. Department of JICA says, “In addition to support for
An element behind this is the so-called cram school tokkatsu, such as classroom discussion and one-day
All photos: Courtesy of JICA

12 | highlighting japan
 Students brush their
teeth after lunch at EJS
Hadayek October

Students clean a classroom

EJS Hadayek October is one of thirty-five EJS

classroom coordinators, in the pilot schools, we also implemented one-month training programs in Japan
provide support for meetings with principals and for a total of about eighty teachers including teachers
other teachers, which are rare in Egypt, and school of the pilot schools and EJS and trainers who instruct
management, including teachers’ mutual observa- teachers to this day. The Egyptian government plans
tion of each other’s classes. The word ‘tokkatsu’ has to open several new EJS this September and aims
been generally adopted by Egyptian educators since to found 200 model schools, including EJS, in the
the project began.” next few years to promote Japanese-style education
In 2018 the Egyptian government opened thirty- across the country.
five Egypt-Japan Schools (EJS) by making use of the The pilot schools and EJS are evaluated very
experiences obtained from the pilot schools and first highly. Parents and principals note many changes
and second-year kindergarten students and first- in the attitude of students. The children learned to
grade elementary school students were enrolled in actively help parents clean their homes, for example,
the schools in the first year. EJS conduct tokkatsu, or began to act more calmly at school than before.
including classroom discussion, one-day classroom They learned to respect and be considerate of other
coordinators, cleaning, and ten minutes quiet study students. In addition, looking at students during
time before classes. In addition, classrooms are classroom discussion, some teachers noticed their
larger in area than conventional public schools and ability to think and act on their own and came to lis-
a desk and a chair is prepared for each student. Fur- ten to their opinions even more.
thermore, facilities, such as practical training rooms Starting from 2018, activities such as classroom
for practical subjects and teacher rooms, which are discussion and one-day classroom coordinators were
not common in public schools, are also prepared included in a new curriculum for first-grade elemen-
for use. EJS have attracted parents’ attention even tary school students implemented in about 18,000
before their opening, and, on average, received schools nationwide, called mini-tokkatsu.
about three times as many applications as they had “Currently, Egypt is working on a range of reforms
room for students. to improve the quality of education. We would like to
To train and nurture the human resources contribute to boosting those reforms by introducing
who teach Japanese-style education, JICA has Japanese-style education,” says Kakehashi.

JULY 2019 | 13