First High School Student International Conference Held
On December 15th, 2019, The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education held the first High School Student International Conference as part of its Diverse Link Tokyo Edu initiative, designed to provide more advanced and more creative inquiry-based learning by establishing closer links with the peoples and nations of the world.
Attending the event were approximately 150 Tokyo Metropolitan junior and senior high school students and overseas students visiting Japan for the Tokyo Experience School. In the first half of the conference, an Auckland University of Technology (AUT) professor gave a keynote speech about the multi-cultural nature of Auckland, said to be one of the most diverse cities in the world. In the study group sessions in the latter half of the conference, the Japanese students and visiting overseas students discussed the ideas and opinions each had prepared beforehand, and gave presentations.
The students organized themselves, with the lecture, group discussions, and presentations generally conducted in English.
1．Date
Sunday, December 15th, 2019 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
2．Place
Tokyo Metropolitan Koishikawa Secondary Education School
3．Participants
Students: about 140 Supervising teachers: about 20
- Tokyo metropolitan junior & senior high school students: 79 Supervising teachers: about 11
(Hibiya High School, Hakuo Senior High School, Oizumi Senior High School, Chihaya High School, Musashinokita Senior High School, Shakujii High School, Shoyo High School, Hachioji Kita High School, Koishikawa Secondary Education School, Minamitama Secondary Education School, Mitaka Secondary School, and Tachikawa Kokusai Secondary Education School) - Overseas students*: 60 Supervising teachers*: 10
(from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, and Thailand)
*The overseas students and their supervising teachers were participants in the second Tokyo Experience School event, held in 2019.
4．Seminar Overview
Part 1: Keynote Speech 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
“Experiences of Superdiversity in Auckland, New Zealand”
by Dr. Neil Boland, professor at New Zealand's Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Part 2: Study Group Presentations: 10:40 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Study Group #1: "I wish we had this kind of service" (universal design)
Study Group #2: "Ideas for helping each other during disasters" (disaster prevention)
Study Group #3: "Let's work together to beautify our community" (trash - environment)
Study Group #4: "A school that's fun for both Japanese and overseas students"
Part 3: Summary – Closing Statement 11:40 a.m. to 12:00 noon
High School Student International Conference Schedule
Students' Pre-assignments
- Prior to the session, the participating students prepared their own opinions concerning issues and solutions related to the pre-assigned theme of their study group.
Study Groups
- Each study group had around 30 members
- There were four separate study groups of about eight people each, including students from multiple foreign countries
- Each group appointed one person to be their facilitator beforehand, and these facilitators led their groups forward during their discussions and presentations
- The students conducted their meetings in English, with the Tokyo Experience School supervisors offering appropriate supportThe study group discussion process: (1) self-introductions (2) discussion (3) summary
Summary & Closing Statement
- The representative of each group used the slides the group had produced and presented the group's action plan
- Finally, the representative of all participating students presented a closing statement on behalf of all the groups
5．Feedback from the Participants
Tokyo Metropolitan High School Students
- Over 90% of the participating students found this experience either "highly satisfying" or "satisfying"
- The specific points they liked best were: the lectures were very informative as they touched on things the students had not been aware of; students were able to express their opinions in English,which was fun because they rarely have such opportunities; and the overseas students helped them with things they couldn't understand.
Overseas Students
- 90% of the participants found this experience either "highly satisfying" or "satisfying"
- The specific points they liked best were: although the lectures and topics were serious, they were quite positive; it was good being able to communicate with students from different countries and different cultures; and, all participants had an opportunity to express themselves.
This was the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education's first attempt to provide this kind of content on this scale. Based on this experience, they intend to move forward with the "Diverse Link Tokyo Edu" initiative and hold another such event in the coming year, with content that will be even more compelling.
