#Japan #Tokyo #Education Support #IGS #Tokyo Mirai

A New Era of Support for School Refusers in Tokyo

In recent years, the number of students refusing to attend school has seen a troubling increase, often leading to a complex web of challenges for both the students and educational institutions. In response to this pressing issue, Tokyo Mirai Junior High School has taken a progressive step by partnering with the Institution for a Global Society (IGS) to develop a unique project aimed at providing individualized support for students experiencing school refusal.

Project Overview

This collaboration, officially launched by Tokyo Mirai Junior High School, located in Adachi, Tokyo, and IGS, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, aims to combine the wealth of knowledge gathered from the educational field with empirical data analysis. The goal is to analyze various factors impacting students’ behavior and circumstances, facilitating more effective learning and lifestyle support tailored to each individual's needs.

The recognized challenge of supporting students with attendance issues is further complicated by the considerable burden it places on school staff. Through this innovative project, the partners intend to alleviate some of these challenges by implementing a hybrid model that integrates data-driven approaches with practical experience from educational professionals.

Background and Rationale

As the incidence of school refusal continues to rise, the reasons behind it have grown increasingly varied and complex. While personalized support is critical, the demands on educators can be overwhelming, making sustained efforts difficult to achieve. By utilizing a data-informed strategy, this initiative aspires to create a sustainable support framework that is directly responsive to the needs of students. The intent is not just to benefit students but also to lighten the workload of teachers while enhancing the educational experience.

A key aspect of the initiative involves a hybrid support model that combines insights from the educational sector with rigorous scientific data analysis. This dual approach aims to identify factors that bolster students' motivation to attend school, allowing for the implementation of suitable environmental adjustments and support measures.

Key Elements of the Joint Development Project

1. In-Depth Analysis of Student Characteristics
By employing BIG5 personality assessments and competency evaluations, the project will gain insight into students' behavioral tendencies and personality traits. Factors such as learning motivation, interpersonal relationships, and stress resilience will be scrutinized from multiple angles.

2. Investigation and Analysis of Environmental Factors
Understanding the impact of various environmental elements is critical. This includes examining family backgrounds, school dynamics, and relationship pressures that may affect a student's willingness to attend school, as well as assessing psychological safety in classrooms and teaching methodologies.

3. Development and Testing of Support Strategies
Based on the data analysis findings, students' attendance patterns will be classified, and tailored approaches along with specific support strategies will be established. Experimental strategies will then be implemented within school settings to gauge their effectiveness, with continuous feedback loops designed to refine these support measures further.

Potential Outcomes

The anticipated results of this collaborative project include:

• - Establishment of a personalized support model that alleviates the burdens faced by educators, while flexibly catering to the diverse needs of individual students.
• - Enhancing students’ motivation to attend school by creating an inviting and supportive educational environment.
• - Strengthening collaboration with families by considering the influence of parental values and engagement on students' attendance behaviors.
• - Formulating a sustainable educational support framework that can be adapted by diverse educational institutions across the region.

Quotes from Leadership

Toshi Torii, Chairman of Sanko Gakuen:
“Tokyo Mirai Junior High School aims to nurture students' innate curiosity and capabilities to contribute to society. Through this partnership with IGS, we expect to visualize each student's situation better and enhance our personalized support systems, ultimately providing students with a safe space to learn and thrive.”

Shinobu Nakazato, COO of IGS:
“Our shared philosophy with Tokyo Mirai Junior High School is to understand student characteristics and foster the capacity to shape their futures through appropriate support. This collaboration aims to empower every student to actualize their potential and bridge the divide in our educational systems.”

Future Directions

The collaboration will continue beyond initial testing phases, focusing on the development of effective support strategies embodying practicality and broad applicability. Both Tokyo Mirai Junior High School and IGS are committed to strengthening their partnership and establishing a viable educational support model that prioritizes sustainability and effectiveness.

About the Organizations

Tokyo Mirai Junior High School:
Recognized by the Ministry of Education for its special educational curriculum that considers the needs of school-refusing students, Tokyo Mirai strives to engage learners with the motto “Curiosity, Challenge, Emotion: Take a Step Forward to the Future.”

Institution for a Global Society (IGS):
An EdTech and HRTech company focusing on visualizing non-cognitive skills and capacities critical for success in society. IGS aims to furnish tools that facilitate a sustainable society without divisions, launching on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2021.

In these swiftly changing times, the collaboration between Tokyo Mirai Junior High School and IGS stands as a beacon of hope and innovation for students in need, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to flourish in their educational journeys.