Thursday, January 30, 2025
On Thursday, January 23rd, after 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: Yasuyoshi Maeda, Mayor of Takikawa City, Hokkaido), receives support from the Nippon Foundation and operates under the following missions: "Support for children and child-rearing," "Disaster prevention and disaster recovery," "The ocean and the environment," "Creating health and a sense of purpose in life," "Regenerating communities and urban development," and "Promoting collaboration and exchange with marine centers and marine clubs."
Chairman Sugawara Satoshi said that Terauchi NoboruCurrently working at the Nippon FoundationHe was a colleague who has been very helpful to me, and he kindly agreed to this interview. Thank you very much.
1. Greetings from the B&G Foundation
Mayor Sasaki:Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.
Chairman Sugawara:Thank you very much for coming. We are holding this summit to help local leaders understand the importance of the Marine Center. We will have an in-depth discussion about the activities and role the Marine Center plays in the community.
We also provide training for superintendents on issues specific to education.
In addition, we offer a one-month training course, and upon completion, you will be able to acquire instructor qualifications. This training is held twice a year in Amagi Town (Tokunoshima Island) in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Once a year, a training session is held for instructors, and once every three years, a national general meeting of the teaching society 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 they look forward to is catching up on old friendships.
2. "Children's Third Place" Initiative
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 neglected children and children who eat dinner alone from dual-income families with opportunities to eat and bathe, and support them in developing good living habits.
Many children are looking for a place to go, and the need is high not only in large cities but also in sparsely populated towns and cities.
At first, I placed emphasis on studying, but now I value the children's freedom to play and spend 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 foster the healthy development of young people, and our number one 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 multi-purpose facility, and is also considering replacing its aging swimming pool.
Chairman Sugawara:Elementary school pools across the country are aging and in need of replacement, but many are hesitant to spend hundreds of millions of yen on this. Given this, there is a demand for the use of the B&G Marine Center pool.
As Hokuryu Town has now received a Special A rating for the 10th consecutive year, it will receive an additional 30 million yen in subsidies for repairs on top of the 30 million yen cap. Furthermore, if a heated swimming pool is installed, the subsidy will be increased to a maximum of 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, and 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 develop "independent learners," but this is not currently the case. Next year, we will collaborate with universities to provide training for teachers.
Chairman Sugawara:We also provide support to parents at the "Third Place." If the home environment changes, children who have worked so hard to grow up may revert to their previous mental state.
Superintendent Tanaka:Improving the home environment is also an important point. If we steadily change awareness one step at a time and change the way teachers interact with children, the children will also change.
Thank you very much, Chairman Sugahara, 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 extend our heartfelt thanks to the B&G Foundation for its work in guiding local education and children's bright futures, with the aim of fostering healthy youth development.
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◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)
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