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Japanology · Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 35

I recently did a research paper on the "Han System" in Japanese schools.

It was quite challenging but very rewarding. I wasn't able to find much on the topic in English but there were Japanese language papers.

My readings and experience did reveal that the "Hans" are somewhat for Japanese teachers only and that not too many foreign language teachers even know about them and that Japanese schools prefer it that way for a variety of complex reasons.

I think it is really something that we are not introduced and informed about this student group system . I have had Japanese teachers tell me that they would not know how to teach without them. Their whole Japanese teacher education training is very much rooted in the Han system.

For me, Classroom Management and the Hans were the biggest area of interest.

Just curious what others know about the Hans.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

You've got to know your classroom arrangement.

Also, identify who is the han-cho (the leader of the han). In my own classrooms I used hans did routine seki-gae (seat change), carefully arranging the students in mixed-ability groups so that the stronger ones pulled up the weaker.

Also, your classroom has nichoku duty - someone who is responsible for the greeting, errands, etc for the day. Recruit that person to check absentees, manage handouts, etc.

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463

Japanology, does reading your paper explain a lot of the more obvious questions, and if so can you make it available online?

Japanology · Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 35

Yes, Tokyo Liz. You know the the way of the Hans very well. I could tell when I read your blog. Excellent stuff.

Did you know that the han-cho or the "kakari" is bound by duty to report all non-compliant students to the homeroom teacher at the end-of-day-home room-meeting and this is why Japanese students have the highest on-task % classroom behavior in the world? This role is rotated weekly and none of the students resent this position. Funny, in a western school the kid would get punched out at the end of the day for being a "rat". No such concept exists in the Japanese Han system though.

The Japanese conditioned this system into them beginning at 5 yrs old. It's "fixed" as my Japanese colleague put it. That is, until a Non-Japanese teacher walks in the room. My position is that the students experience a huge release from the psychological restraints of the Han system when they see a Non-Japanese teacher and they let off a huge metaphorical "fart" that expresses freedom and permissable off-task bahavior in my EFL class.

In Japanese teacher classes, non-comformity is associated with being non-Japanese when a student does get out of line and needs to be dealt with. All a sensei has to say is, "are you not Japanese"?! to create student self reflection on their off-task behavior and to also justify compliant classroom behavior.They use "othering" and the insuated view of the rest of the group to shame the student. The other students are perfectly down with this too.

This is just conjecture, but by my being non-Japanese, does this mean that I am the to be avoided "other" that the Japanese system teaches the students to have a form of negative connotation towards. Could this have something to do with questionable and inappropriate school status that I feel I am often given? Hmm? Nonetheless, it's all very interesting.

I do know this though, at my school and probably many other MEXT schools in Japan, both the kakari ( Han-Cho) and the homeroom teachers bypass dealing with the Foreign language teacher's off-task behavior students during the end-of-the-day-meeting. The main consequence that students face since 5 years of age is non-existent. Does this make our jobs more challenging? I think so.

One thing is for sure though, IMO, Japan has the most unique classroom management system in the world.

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

There's an article on it here.

I can't say I'd heard of it before - I've never taught in the public school system here - but it does provide some insight into classroom management in other contexts. Perhaps it explains why small groups with clear responsibilities divided among the members works well, in my experience at university-level, at getting and keeping the kids on-task.

Japanology · Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 35

That was a great article link Mr.Monkey.

I especially found this part interesting:

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Ah yes, developing the ole kokoro.

Warm regards,
fat_chris

marley'sghost · Joined: 04 Oct 2010 Posts: 255

Shame really is the main stick used for classroom discipline in Japan. Unfortunately, it's also the only one, now that the stick is no longer literally ...a stick.... Once the kids have no shame, they run wild. We've got plenty of kids at the junior high schools I work at who do whatever they want whenever they want to do it. The teachers scold, plead, lecture, try to be their buddy, "manipulate", everything but give the little jerk detention and make him write, "I will not climb out the 3rd floor classroom window." 500 times.