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よりよい教育へ
千葉大学が今年、初の飛び級制度を導入した。カナダ人の筆者は、個性に合わせて飛び級を採用しているカナダの教育制度を紹介する。
Getting Education On Track
By JOHN GATHRIGHT
In Japan, the admittance of three second-year high school students to Chiba University has made headline news and spurred much debate concerning the future of the Japanese educational system.
Everyone has gifts and/or special talents. Some are more obvious than others and some are more socially recognized, but as people we all have a right to the opportunities, academic or otherwise, needed to develop them.
It has been more than 20 years since I was in elementary school. But I clearly remember how fortunate I was to have a teacher who recommended that I be allowed to skip a grade. That teacher believed that my disruptive behavior in class was actually due to boredom.
Skipping a grade provided me with challenge but it also created stress and pressure. Moving up a year was not the answer to all my problems. The other students were older, and I was unprepared for the topics and the work load. There were some jealous students, and some called me names ("Brain," "Teacher's Pet"), but at least I wasn't bored stiff in class anymore. All the teasing wore off as I made new friends.
Things have really changed since I was in school. I am the oldest in a family of eight kids. It has been fascinating to watch how the Canadian school system adapted to accommodate each of my siblings so that each was encouraged to excel in his or her own way
My youngest brother is just now attending university. He benefited from accelerated course programs in high school. He worked hard to develop his gifts and was granted admission to his university with enough credits to put him in the middle of his second year of study. He is younger than many students at his university, but because his is not an uncommon case, he is not deprived socially or judged negatively by his peers. In fact, they respect him for his achievements!
Skipping grades is no longer the only option, nor always the solution. Students are offered accelerated classes in many subjects as elective choices, and at some high schools there are even university-level courses for which students are granted university credits.
To foster peer mentoring, homerooms are no longer assigned according to grade level nor limited to one age group. Students are given elite status for their achievements but are encouraged to recognize and appreciate diversity in abilities.
I visited one of my sisters' classrooms and was impressed by the class motto: "We all march to a different drum." On the principal's door was written: "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink! Students ― School is your `well'; drink all that you can!"
A system designed for one kind of learner at one speed of learning will never fit all students. I am convinced that efforts like those above are on the right track toward an enlightened and improved education system. The Chiba University case is another step in the right direction. However, the Education Ministry needs to take a holistic approach and provide a system that addresses the needs of both academically gifted and academically handicapped students.
In Japan, the admittance of three second-year high school students to Chiba University has made headline news and spurred much debate concerning the future of the Japanese educational system.
Everyone has gifts and/or special talents. Some are more obvious than others and some are more socially recognized, but as people we all have a right to the opportunities, academic or otherwise, needed to develop them.
It has been more than 20 years since I was in elementary school. But I clearly remember how fortunate I was to have a teacher who recommended that I be allowed to skip a grade. That teacher believed that my disruptive behavior in class was actually due to boredom.
Skipping a grade provided me with challenge but it also created stress and pressure. Moving up a year was not the answer to all my problems. The other students were older, and I was unprepared for the topics and the work load. There were some jealous students, and some called me names ("Brain," "Teacher's Pet"), but at least I wasn't bored stiff in class anymore. All the teasing wore off as I made new friends.
Things have really changed since I was in school. I am the oldest in a family of eight kids. It has been fascinating to watch how the Canadian school system adapted to accommodate each of my siblings so that each was encouraged to excel in his or her own way
My youngest brother is just now attending university. He benefited from accelerated course programs in high school. He worked hard to develop his gifts and was granted admission to his university with enough credits to put him in the middle of his second year of study. He is younger than many students at his university, but because his is not an uncommon case, he is not deprived socially or judged negatively by his peers. In fact, they respect him for his achievements!
Skipping grades is no longer the only option, nor always the solution. Students are offered accelerated classes in many subjects as elective choices, and at some high schools there are even university-level courses for which students are granted university credits.
To foster peer mentoring, homerooms are no longer assigned according to grade level nor limited to one age group. Students are given elite status for their achievements but are encouraged to recognize and appreciate diversity in abilities.
I visited one of my sisters' classrooms and was impressed by the class motto: "We all march to a different drum." On the principal's door was written: "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink! Students ― School is your `well'; drink all that you can!"
A system designed for one kind of learner at one speed of learning will never fit all students. I am convinced that efforts like those above are on the right track toward an enlightened and improved education system. The Chiba University case is another step in the right direction. However, the Education Ministry needs to take a holistic approach and provide a system that addresses the needs of both academically gifted and academically handicapped students.
Shukan ST: Feb. 13, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- admittance
- 入学許可
- has made headline news and spurred much debate concerning 〜
- 大ニュースになり、 〜 に関する議論を引き起こした
- gifts
- 天賦の才能
- obvious
- 明白な
- (are)socially recognized
- 社会的に認められている
- academic
- 教育上の
- elementary school
- 小学校
- recommended
- 勧めた
- be allowed to skip a grade
- 1学年上に飛び級を許される
- disruptive behavior in class
- 授業のじゃまになるような行動
- (was)due to 〜
- 〜 によるものだった
- boredom
- 退屈
- provided me with challenge
- やりがいを与えてくれた
- work load
- 勉強量
- jealous
- ねたむ
- called me names
- 悪口を言った
- "Brain"
- 「お利口さん」
- "Teacher's Pet"
- 「先生のお気に入り」
- wasn't bored stiff
- ものすごく退屈することはなかった
- All the teasing wore off
- からかいもおさまった
- adapted to accommodate 〜
- 〜 に合うように変えられた
- siblings
- 弟妹
- excel
- 抜きん出る
- in his or her own way
- その子なりの 〜 で
- benefited from accelerated course programs
- 教科課程を早く勧めるプログラムの恩恵を受けた
- credits
- 単位
- uncommon
- まれな
- is not deprived socially or judged negatively by his peers
- 社会的に何かを失ったり、同年の学生たちから否定的な目で見られたりしな
- elective choices
- 選択
- To foster peer mentoring
- 学生が互いに指導しあえるように
- are no longer assigned according to 〜
- 〜 に基づいて構成されてはいない
- appreciate 〜
- 〜 の良さを理解する
- diversity
- 多様性
- was impressed by 〜
- 〜 に感銘を受けた
- We all march to a different drum.
- みなそれぞれ違うドラムの音に合わせて(違う個性を大切にして)歩いていく
- principal's
- 校長
- You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink!
- 本人がする気のないことはさせられない
- well
- 井戸
- fit
- 合う
- am convinced that 〜
- 〜 ということを信じている
- enlightened
- 進んだ
- Education Ministry
- 文部省
- holistic approach
- 全体的な取り組み
- addresses 〜
- 〜 に対応する
- both academically gifted and academically handicapped students
- 勉強が得意な学生と不得意な学生の両方