Toyama a Prefectural
Toyama Commercial High School
Toyama Prefectural
Toyama Commercial High School is one of the 2 commercial high schools in Toyama
prefecture. Parents pay for high
school. It has 800 students with 65
staff members. It has school mottos of
independence, cooperation, sincerity, cheerfulness and a fighting spirit. Administration and teachers want students to
realize their full potential. They try
to develop well-balanced, cultural people who will be useful in the business
world.
Did you know there are separate entrances for students and teachers?
Students
have lockers for books and cubbies for shoes.
There are bike racks.
School is from 9 to
3:30.
Everyone attends a club
every afternoon after school from 3:30 to 6:30. This school is number one in the prefecture in many of it’s after
school activities. We saw some clubs at work. I was so impressed by the talents
and strengths of these students.
We heard the fabulous
symphony band play.
There is judo and akkodo
(archery).
The baseball team is the
number 1 team in the country.
I saw baseball practice.
Sumo wrestling was fun
to watch.
Students learn the art
of calligraphy. Then I tried to do
calligraphy. I wrote samurai.
In high school and
junior high students bow to the teacher before the class begins! One person
says that the class will try to do their best work and then everyone sits.
Teachers lecture in front of the room.
Students listen, learn
and laugh.
Technology education is
on its way but it’s many years behind the U.S.
I observed a computer class where cobalt programming was taught.
After gym class students
sit in a circle to evaluate the lesson, noting how the group can improve the
next time.
We observed clean
up. There are no janitors in the
schools. Cleaning is done to keep the
school neat. It’s also done because
it’s the right thing to do. Every day a
part of the school day is used for students to clean their school. Everyone knows their job and they do it
well. Students clean chalkboards, sweep
and wash floors, scrub bathrooms with stiff brushes windows, take out the
garbage, and water plants. All the
children get their important job done each day.