Students In Japan Clean Their School Classrooms And Toilets Making American Schools Follow Suit

Jan 06, 2020

Japanese students are also required to have cleaning responsibilities at their schools. It's called "o-soji" or "big cleaning." It's customary practice in Japanese schools where students are expected to tidy up their classrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and libraries for a few minutes each day.

"For a long time, it has been an important part of Japanese education to teach our children (...) virtues such as cleaning up after themselves, being punctual and greeting their elders," says one school principal to The Straits Times.

The cleaning rituals take place in every level of schooling, including elementary school. Tasks are divided by grade to keep them age-appropriate. For example, first graders might wipe down their desks while 11th graders sweep locker rooms and scrub out toilets.

According to The Straits Times, Japanese schools do employ janitors and groundskeepers, and they have the primary responsibility of keeping their schools clean. But experts say that it's good for students to tidy up after themselves. It teaches them good habits while they're young, and it keeps them from needlessly dirtying the spaces around them. The children quickly learn not to make messes when they'll be the ones cleaning them up!

Another benefit of o-soji is that it gives students time to relax between lessons. Many kids use the sweeping, mopping and washing blackboards as a chance to chat and gossip with their peers. Cooperation is encouraged, so they don't get in trouble for socializing.

Additionally, it's common for schools to play cheerful music over the speakers during o-soji time, so the cleaning can have an almost festive air. Older students in particular are said to enjoy the break from their academically demanding classes.

The practice of o-soji isn't without criticism, however. "The purpose of a public school is to educate," says Pat Puleo to Mic, an educator with an international's teachers group. "I'm not sure that you could force child labor."

Others say that the students aren't hurt by a few minutes of cleaning each day. They also argue that the true purpose of a school goes beyond memorizing your times' tables.

"School is not just for learning from a book," says Michael Auslin to NPR, an English teacher in Japan. "It's about learning how to become a member of society and taking responsibility for oneself."

More and more schools seem to be open to the idea of o-soji. It's become a common practice in other Asian countries like Taiwan and South Korea, and even American schools have started to experiment with it. They're seeing positive results.

"We really wanted a school where the students took ownership and made it their own," says Kim De Costa to NPR, a spokesperson for a charter school in Oregon where they've started supervised cleaning projects with their students.

"We're trying to train them for life," says Susan Shafer to NPR, a teacher at a Florida school with a similar program. "They're all going to go to college. No one is going to clean their dorm room for them."

What do you think, readers? Should more schools adopt the practice of o-soji? Do you think that it distracts from their studies, or does it instill good habits that the children will carry into adulthood? Sound off in the comments!