先日、本校高等学校1年生と2年生が”Zoom Postcard”を主催しました。これは、ラウンドスクエア加盟校が参加する国際オンライン会議です。会議のタイトルは、”How long should students be at school learning?" 。議題とその内容、進め方について、全て生徒たちが決定、実施しました。参加者はオーストラリア、インド、ケニヤ、南アフリカ、アラブ首長国連邦の5か国、17校から生徒と教員約100名が参加しました。本校からは8人の生徒がブレイクアウトルームのリーダーとして、会議をまとめました。参加した生徒の感想を紹介します。
Today’s zoom postcard was about ‘how long should students be at school learning.’ All the participating students were very kind and active. In my group, we talked about how much time they spend at school or with family and how much homework they get. It was interesting to me that many schools have ‘self study time’ at school regularly, and how every student must join an after-school activity. Although during the discussion many students said that they think they need more time for themselves and less at school, I couldn’t help but notice how they all loved school so much. Someone said that the school was like family, and that really stuck to me. I have always loved school, and learning with my friends. However, sometimes I forget that I am lucky to be able to go to school and say that I don’t like it there. Listening to the discussion today made me realize once more how important school is for us. I really enjoyed the discussion, and I appreciate all the support from my teammates and baraza group members sincerely. It was a very good session, and I hope to do it again. （高2女子）
We started off by simply talking about our own school, where we got to share and compare the cultural differences in educational concepts between countries. In my group I had the honor to be leading many students from all parts of India and Australia. We finished the topic early, so I decided to strive a debate by exploring how there’s the American way of thinking where they care about academics AND extracurricular activities, and the Japanese way where the exam scores are everything. We all came to a conclusion that extracurricular activities MUST be highly emphasized and encouraged, since not does it only create a chance for students to stand out by showcasing their passions and ability to execute ideas, but also to encourage work-life balance, to understand the world, and to discover oneself. At first, it was a little awkward since only a few had come prepared with the pre-works and too shy to share, I had to present my “emergency presentation”, and forcibly pick students. However, I was eventually able to create an environment where all the students were comfortable sharing their opinions and even hobbies. I got to share a few laughs with two Aussie Formula 1 fans, Bella and Steven, since I myself am a huge Formula 1 fan too! At the end, the conversations were going so well that we still had so much more to share, but unfortunately the Breakout Room has closed on us. This was an amazing activity, though at first I only came to help because there weren’t enough people. In the end I had so much fun, while also getting to learn about Indian and Australian educational systems, and what kind of position we, Japanese students, stand in this world. I’m already eagerly awaiting for future Zoom calls like this, and you can bet that I’ll be the first one to sign up. （高1男子）
普段忘れがちな幸せを思い出し、共有できる素敵なひとときでした。参加してくださった皆さん、ありがとうございました。
