Thursday, January 30, 2025
On Thursday, January 23rd, following a discussion with Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa, Hokuryu Town Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki and Superintendent of Education Yoshiki Tanaka visited the B&G Foundation, located on the 9th floor of Mori Building, 35 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, for 30 minutes from 1:30 pm, and paid a courtesy visit to Chairman Satoshi Sugawara.
The B&G Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation (Chairman: Maeda Yasuyoshi, Mayor of Takikawa City, Hokkaido), receives support from the Nippon Foundation and its mission is to promote the following activities: "Children and child-rearing support," "Disaster prevention and disaster recovery," "The ocean and the environment," "Health and purpose in life," "Community revitalization and urban development," and "Promoting collaboration and exchange with marine centers and marine clubs."
Chairman Satoshi Sugawara said,Currently working at the Nippon FoundationHe was a colleague who has been very helpful to me and kindly agreed to this interview. Thank you very much.
1. Greetings on the visit to the B&G Foundation
Mayor Sasaki:Thank you for your time today.
Chairman Sugawara:Thank you for coming. We are holding this summit to help the mayors understand the importance of the Marine Center. We will have an in-depth discussion about the activities and the role that the Marine Center plays in the region.
We also provide training for superintendents on issues specific to education.
In addition, we provide a one-month training course, and upon completion, you can obtain an instructor qualification. This training is held twice a year in Amagi Town (Tokunoshima Island) in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Once a year, a training session for instructors is held, and once every three years, a national teaching society general meeting is held, with approximately 600 people gathering from all over the country. This general meeting is also a place where friends who have deepened their bonds during the training can meet again, and one of the things to look forward to is catching up on old friendships.
2. Initiatives for "Children's Third Place"
Chairman Sugawara:We are currently creating a "third place" for children that is neither home nor school. This place will bring together children who have challenges at home, children who are not attending school, and children who need support with their studies.
At this facility, they teach the basics of daily life, provide opportunities for neglected children and children who eat dinner alone from dual-income families to eat meals and bathe, and support them in developing daily habits.
Many children are looking for a place to go, and the need is high not only in big cities but also in sparsely populated towns and villages.
At first, I placed emphasis on studying, but now I value the children's freedom to play and share time together. Of course, if any child wants to study, I will support them in that too.
We also encourage interaction between children of different ages, and place importance on respecting children's autonomy rather than forcing them to study.
3. Towards the healthy development of young people
Chairman Sugawara:We aim to raise healthy young people, and the most fundamental priority is the healthy development of young people. We are also expanding our "third place" through activities such as nature experiences through marine sports.
Mayor Sasaki:Hokuryu Town is planning to introduce a ninth grade compulsory education school and develop a complex facility in the future. At the same time, they are also considering replacing their aging pool.
Chairman Sugawara:The pools at elementary schools across the country are deteriorating and in need of replacement, but they are often hesitant to spend hundreds of millions of yen on this. Given this, there is a demand for the B&G Marine Center pool to be used.
Because Hokuryu Town has received an A rating for the 10th consecutive year, it will be able to provide an additional 30 million yen in subsidies for repairs on top of the 30 million yen subsidy cap. In addition, if the facility is converted into a heated swimming pool, the subsidy will be up to 100 million yen.
4. Reforms in the educational field and future prospects
Superintendent Tanaka:We will incorporate vertical connections into the curriculum for ninth grade compulsory education. We plan to promote a change in teachers' awareness.
Chairman Sugawara:It is necessary for teachers to change their mindset. Please do your best.
Superintendent Tanaka:What is needed now is to nurture "independent learners," but that is not currently the case. Next year, we will collaborate with a university to provide training for teachers.
Chairman Sugawara:We also provide support to parents at the "Third Place." If a child's home environment changes, they may revert to their previous mental state after all the effort they've put in to grow up.
Superintendent Tanaka:Improving the home environment is also an important point. If teachers can steadily change their mindset one step at a time and change the way they interact with children, the children will also change.
Thank you very much, Chairman Sugawara, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your valuable thoughts on the healthy development of young people.
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, we send our heartfelt thanks to the B&G Foundation for its work in guiding local education and children to a bright future, with the aim of healthy development of young people.
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◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi)
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