Classroom Collaboration with Katsuta Secondary School (2)-Level 4 (General) Class, Japanese Langauge Training Course & Japanese Teacher Education Program (Wednesday, December 11)

5 international students enrolled in Level 4 (General) of the Japanese Language Training Course, 4 students enrolled in Japanese Pedagogy I class of the Japanese Langauge Teacher Training Program, and 31 third-year students enrolled in the Future Exploration Global Seminar at Katsuta Secondary School in Hitachinaka City have been working on a project to discuss an ideal junior high school for children from diverse backgrounds.

On Wednesday, December 11, students visited Joso City, where one out of every 10 students is a foreigner. This visit included international students from Ibaraki University, middle school students from Katsuta Secondary School.

During the visit, they first visited "Kamesen-nin gai," where stores from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries line the streets, visited Sri Lankan and Filipino grocery stores, and had lunch at a Sri Lankan restaurant. They then visited a nearby Sri Lankan temple. After filling their stomachs, they visited the night class of Mitsukaido Junior High School, the only night junior high school in Ibaraki Prefecture, and listened to a story about the school.

Students commented that they were able to experience multiculturalism firsthand, and that they would like to realize community development that is friendly to foreign residents.

They will reflect on their visit and discuss in groups about the ideal junior high school where children with diverse backgrounds can study together.