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I have been introducing articles from Michinoku Shigoto in the last few weeks, and here is another article to introduce from the website; unique education programme in Onagawa, Miyagi Pref.

"GENuine1986" some rights reserved. flickr

More than 2 years passed after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami hit Tohoku region in 2011.  Donation and aids greatly helped the area; however, children in the area still need support to receive education both physically and mentally.  In order to help re-establish educational infrastructure in the area, an organisation established 2 night schools called ‘collaboration school’ at the most severely stricken areas (Onagawa and Otsuchi) in 2011.

The organisation started the school aiming to provide educational opportunities to children, and help them not to give up to become what they wanted to be in the future because of the earthquake and tsunami.

"Hiroyuki Tsuruno" some rights reserved. flickr

*This is just an image picture, and not the actual picture of the collaboration school.

The schools are widely receiving funding and volunteering support from all over Japan; but at the same time they make  the most of local manpower and the Municipal Board of Education in the area.  The article covers an interview with one staff of the school, who joined one of the collaboration school in Onagawa after working in competitive educational sector in Tokyo.

In the article, she recalls her situation when she made the decision to join the school; she was involved in a big project to promote science education for children, and she didn’t plan to leave at all.  But the Great East Japan Earthquake made her realised that she passionately wants to work in education industry in the area, where severely hit by the earthquake and tsunami as she was so moved by Tohoku Childrens’s words which she found on TV. Being one person from Tohoku region herself, she determined to quit work in Tokyo and moved back to Tohoku for her most loving work.

The night school not only provide alternative opportunity for children to study, but also support high school students to seek future career path. The school believes that the area will allow establishing educational infrastructure in a relatively new and radical manner as everything has to be re-established from a scratch.  And the area can potentially be a good model of all other area if its re-establishment see success.

I knew some activity of public schools but I was not aware of such an school very much; but I sincerely hope that this kind of support will save children from ending up giving up everything they wanted before the traumatic event.  Smiles of children surely strengthen the area, so 1 massive ‘Like’ from me to this activity!!

What do you think about today’s article?

Please let me know what you think  😉

Source: Michinoku Shigoto

This is JAPAN Style!