How Do Schools in Japan Keep Their Classrooms So Tidy?

Students can learn a lot at school, if they apply themselves. And American schools can learn a lot from school practices in Japan, if they begin to think outside the box. For example, in addition to turning out some of the world’s best students, Japan’s educators teach students how to clean up after themselves. Beginning in the first grade, elementary through high school students are often required to help keep their schools tidy, from scrubbing and organizing to sweeping and dusting. The thinking is that if students are required to care for their surroundings, they will have a greater respect for the environment around them.

Cleaning up after themselves:

• This Japanese educational tradition is called o-soji. Students learn that it’s better not to make a mess if you are the one who has to clean it up.
• The practice of o-soji has spread to other countries in Asia, such as Taiwan and South Korea. Some schools in the United States have also experimented with the idea.
• At the Armadillo Technical Institute, a charter school in Phoenix, Oregon, students are required to sweep, mop, take out the trash, and even clean bathrooms for 30 minutes after lunch.