By Makoto Hattori

8:00 JST, May 11, 2024

When education is subjected to extreme situations, its true essence is revealed. The actions of teachers in disaster-stricken schools following the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula Earthquake shed light on the role of teachers. Despite losing their own homes in the earthquake, teachers tirelessly worked for the sake of the children. In addition to teaching, teachers helped children overcome difficult situations by creating a school environment where they could feel safe and find happiness.

This shows a holistic approach to education in which teachers not only help children learn knowledge and skills, but also cultivate the sensitivity and ethics that children possess, with the goal of developing the whole person. Many teachers in Japan have more or less adopted this approach, and the teachers I interviewed in the affected areas were among them.

One such teacher is Principal Motoko Aizumi of Iida Elementary School in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Located on the tip of the Noto Peninsula, the area was hit by strong tremors measuring up to 6 on the Japanese intensity scale, causing the collapse of many houses, including her home.

The principal continued to manage the school while sleeping in her office. A shelter was set up at her school, where many residents took refuge. Realizing that the presence of the shelter could serve as a valuable learning opportunity, she encouraged the children to explore it. She wanted them to study how the shelter was operated, understand the feelings of volunteers and local residents involved in its management, and learn things they could only experience at that moment.

The fifth and sixth graders went first. Together with their teachers, they toured the shelter, making observations and comments like, “This must be the command center,” “I wonder what’s written on the blackboard,” and “They’re managing relief supplies here too.”

They were........

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