I think having to clean the school is a very good thing because we learn that it’s important for us to take responsibility for cleaning the things and places that we use.” “I sometimes didn't want to clean the school,” recalled freelance translator Chika Hayashi, “but I accepted it because it was part of our routine. Who wants to dirty or deface a school that they have to clean up themselves? Including this element of social consciousness in the school curriculum helps the children develop an awareness of, and pride in, their surroundings. “In our home life as well, parents teach us that it’s bad for us not to keep our things and our space clean.” “For 12 years of school life, from elementary school to high school, cleaning time is part of students’ daily schedule,” said Maiko Awane, assistant director of Hiroshima Prefectural Government’s Tokyo office. The easy answer is that residents themselves keep it that way. So they’re left with the question: how does Japan stay so clean? Then they notice the absence of litter bins. Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is. Similar scenes are happening at schools across the country. And line five will clean the toilets.”Ī few groans arise from line five, but the children stand up, grab the mops, cloths and buckets from the broom cupboard at the back of the classroom, and trot off to the toilets. Lines three and four, the corridor and stairs. Lines one and two will clean the classroom. Then, as every day, the teacher’s final words: “OK everybody, today’s cleaning roster. They listen patiently as their teacher makes a few announcements about tomorrow’s timetable. The students sit with their satchels on their desks, eager to get home after another long day of seven 50-minute classes. (This year, we published many inspiring and amazing stories that made us fall in love with the world – and this is one our favourites.
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