The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today visited the Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo. Speaking after a presentation on Japan’s Elementary and Secondary Education System, the Prime Minister said he had come to this 136-year old school as a student, to learn how moral education, modernity and discipline has been blended in the Japanese school system, and could be imbibed in India. He also understood the methods of evaluation and examination, how parents are kept involved with the child’s education, and how the school syllabus is prepared.
Interacting with the Japanese Deputy Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Mr. Maekawa Kihai; and teachers from the Taimei Elementary School, the Prime Minister said the whole world accepts the 21st century as Asia’s century, and to prepare ourselves well, Asian countries must learn each other’s languages and values, so that this century is more useful for humanity. He said India had introduced Japanese as a language option in schools, but there was a shortage of teachers. He urged Japan to take up an initiative to introduce teaching of Japanese language online. He said Indian languages could also be introduced in Japan, and such an exchange would positively impact this century.
The Prime Minister observed that on the same day in 1923, the Taimei Elementary School had been destroyed in an earthquake, but it had since been well rebuilt. He said he was reminded of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and how 400 children had perished in a school in Anjar village, in that incident.
The Prime Minister also visited a music class, where children recited a song and presented a musical performance.
