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Introduction When
establishing a successful program criterion for high school students in
their transition to workforce, a beneficial model to examine is that of
the Japaneseschool system.
"In the Japanese school system, 81 percent of high schoolapplicants
that apply for their first career choice receive the job, and of thoserejected,
85 percent of students are hired by the second firm for which they haveapplied.”3
This success in the workforce is due to the model of study in theJapanese
school system called the cooperative learning method.
What is a school day like in Japan? A typical day in Japan’s school high school classroom involves a very beneficial learning tool called cooperative learning. “Cooperative learning is working together in small groups where the emphasis is on interactive communication linked to groupdefinition and solution of problems.”1 The cooperative learning groups staytogether for the whole school year. These units function as a unique communitycreated by the members of the class where many activities like eating, sleeping, andsocializing takes place. This type of learning is highly beneficial to the individualsand the future employers. "The research conducted on the benefits of cooperativelearning in the classroom on an individual are: an increase enjoyment of school,higher levels of cooperativeness, more altruism, and greater feelings of individual control over one's own fate.”1 Within the workforce, the skills needed to see the greatest benefits are ones that arrive from the successful nature of working togetherin a group setting. Example
of Cooperative Learning Classroom ¨
Instructors match up students with various skill levels to take on different
roles like: recorder, mentor, motivator, and concluder of group actions. ¨
Different roles assure that no person will be left out of the educational
process. ¨
Group togetherness helps to minimize discipline problems because of the
control in the group. ¨
The instructor stresses individual accountability.
Explanation
of Japan’s School to Work Transition Program Japanese high schools have set up a very worthwhile transition to workforceprogram for their students. The program was developed for two reasons: to assistthe students with their future careers and by law school systems must aid job-seeking activities. "The legal bases for this requirement are provided in theSchool Education Law of 1947 and its various directives from the Ministries ofEducation and Labour.”2 Program
Components ¨ The program is made up of one large committee, Career GuidanceCommittee. ¨The
Career Guidance Committees is divided into two smallersections
called Educational Advancement Section and the Employment Guidance Section. ¨Homeroom teachers are very important assets to the school to work transition program. Educational
Advancement Section The
goal of the Educational Advancement is to help students pursue lattereducation.
The chief of the career guidance program is selected from among theteaching
staff. Together, the teachers form the Career Guidance Section. One
keyrole of the Career Guidance
is to collect the recruitment forms that have been filledout
by the Japanese companies.
The Japanese companies are very active inrecruiting
high school seniors for future positions. The forms that the companieshave
filled out clearly state the job description, salary, working conditions,
socialand welfare benefits.
"While
the work of the Career Guidance Committee mayappear
prominent, the role of the Japanese homeroom teachers in helping students
find jobs is equally important and deserving of notice.”2 Homeroom
Teacher involvement The homeroom teacher plays the role of both academic and social advisors for agroup of students. Some of the duties of the homeroom teacher include: keeping a record of all the students' grades, setting up a tutoring session for a low grade in asubject, and visiting the homes of the assigned students. Homeroom teachers visit the homes of their students once a year throughout the high school period. Theyvisit the homes to: connect with the parents on issues concerning the child, observe the living environment, discuss any type of disciplinary problems, and talk about the high school senior's job possibilities. By doing this, the homeroom teacher, student,and the parents form a close, caring relationship. Not only do the homeroomteachers keep on track of the students' academic progress, but they also keep ontrack of their knowledge of possible future careers. Distributing informationalbrochures, which carry out the programs of the Career Guidance Services, does this. Parents’
involvement ¨
Discuss with the homeroom teacher, and the student possible future jobs. ¨Helpmake a decision about what the first and second job choice of the high school senior is. Employment
Guidance Section The
responsibility of the Employment Guidance section is to access the possibilitiesof
obtaining the students’ first and second career choices based on academicperformance,
club participation, and overall behavior.Throughout
the career decision process, the school gives the students guidance on
interviews and on howto
take job tests. This
information is proven beneficial when it comes to taking thecompanies'
examinations. The assessment of the individual's grades, participation,and
test scores allow the companies to make their decision. Once the companies
make the decision, students may choose which job he/ she would like to
pursue.After the students
have been placed in their jobs, the school keeps in contact with the companies
and the new employers. Conclusion After
reviewing the Japanese schools system and the Japanese transition from
high school to work program, it is evident that the Japanese culture partakes
in a great deal of skill development and instruction to benefit the future
career holders. Through the use of cooperative learning in the school systems
of Japan, high school students gain the knowledge and resources to successful
work together in a group setting. By doing this, the students will benefit
in the work world as well as in their personal lives. Japan's school system
also provides the students with a thorough transition program to insure
their success in the job force. This is done through grade monitoring,
tutoring sessions, home visits, detailed job descriptions, and placement.
By studying Japan's school system, and transition program, other successful
agendas could be set up for the future generations. References 1.Baris-Sanders, M. (1997) . Cooperative Education. Phi Delta Kappan, pp.619- 623. 2 Nakamura, M., & Rhodes, L. (1996) . From School to Work inJapan. Compare, 26, pp.261-268. 3Rosenbaum, J.E. (1989). Linkages between High Schools and Work: Lessonsfrom Japan. pp. 1-42. ED 315 540. |
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