The film "Children Full of Life"
The film "Children Full of Life" is an illustration of the diverse education system in Japan. Prior to watching the video, I had assumed that the education system was similar to those in Western countries. I anticipated the education system to be highly competitive, focused on grades and having a preference for scientific learning approach. These assumptions were largely informed by the high development levels in Japan. A highly industrial country is essentially expected to have a robust and competitive education system. After watching the documentary, these assumptions were disapproved. Mr. Kinamori's 4th grade class in the film indicates that schools in Japan are interactive, encourage cooperation, and foster positive personalities in the students.
The cooperation and teamwork among the students
The cooperation and teamwork among the students were surprising given that I had anticipated a highly competitive class environment. The children are taught to function as a team to the extent that they defend their classmate when he is told not to ride a raft with the rest of the class as punishment (Noburu 20.39). The letter reading sessions encourage interaction as the children are able to freely exchange thoughts. The sessions enable them to overcome trauma and identify their mistakes.
Fostering positive personalities
The schools in Japan tend to foster positive personalities. Incidents such as bullying are discouraged by invoking empathy. The victims and perpetrators exchange their feelings about these incidents so that the children understand the consequences of bad behavior. Largely, the school preferred the students to have practical learning. They could learn from the mistakes and reflect on their actions to develop positive personalities.
Teaching happiness through practical and interactive learning
The documentary essentially shows that schools in Japan teach happiness to students through practical and interactive learning. The schools in Japan teach life skills and are less focused on forcefully instilling academic knowledge on students. The type of learning in Japan needs to be emulated in other countries so as to have a world population that is more empathetic.
Work Cited
Children Full of Life. Dir. Kaetsu Noburu. Perf. Kanamori Toshiro. 2003. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tLB1lU-H0M.
