Education

1. Education

2. AUSTRALIA G’day Located: Greeting: Children living in remote, geographically isolated locations gain their primary school education via radio on “School of the Air.” Participant: Lachlan Ellis Molony Unique Education System:

3. AUSTRALIA G’day Located: Greeting: Participant: Lachlan Ellis Molony My culture shock: I was shocked with the experience of going to a communal bath (onsen: hot spring spa) in Japan.

4. BRUNEI Located: Apa Kabar Greeting: Participant: Selamat bin Abdullah Tradition and Culture in Brunei: Brunei Darussalam is rich in culture and tradition with our royal heritage dating back some 500 years. Education for religion and morals, known as MIM (Malay Islam Monarchy) is considered very important.

5. BRUNEI Located: Apa Kabar Greeting: Participant: Selamat bin Abdullah My culture shock: I was surprised to see a Japanese principal at a high school, who was still active at the age of 82.

6. CAMBODIA Located: Choum reap sor Greeting: The restructuring of our education system from 11 to 12 years of schooling has been completed. 9 years of education is compulsory in Cambodia. Cambodians are hungry for education. Participant: Sonny Chhoun Cambodian new curriculum:

7. CAMBODIA Located: Choum reap sor Greeting: My first time experience in the Japanese “ofuro (grand bath)” !! Participant: Sonny Chhoun My culture shock:

8. CANADA Located: Greeting: Hello One way is through the use of photographs which represent peace. The UN has the schools for Global Peace teaching about children in armed conflict. Participant: John Christian Burgener Developing Peace Education:

9. CANADA Located: Greeting: Hello I found it interesting to see some Japanese people pouring drinks for others during meal times. Participant: John Christian Burgener My culture shock: I also didn’t know that in Malaysia (Muslim culture), it was not common for women and men to touch or hold hands.

10. COSTA RICA Pura Vida Located: Greeting: Costa Rica abolished the army in 1949 and dedicated its resources to education and health. Being a peaceful country, Costa Rica has won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. It has the highest literacy rate in Latin America. Participant: Rowland Espinosa Howell Costa Rican history in education:

11. COSTA RICA Pura Vida Located: Greeting: I was surprised to learn that Japanese people talk to each other without having an eye contact, and they don’t make physical contact when sharing a conversation. Participant: Rowland Espinosa Howell My culture shock:

12. EGYPT Marhaba Located: Greeting: Egypt has developed the festival of “Reading for All” to all ages. In rural areas, dropped out female students may receive primary education in one classroom schools, community schools and home classes. Participant: Radwa Rabee Ibrahim Saad The Reading for All Festival:

13. EGYPT Marhaba Located: Greeting: My first experience in “onsen (hot spring in Japan)” was a bizarre – in my Egyptian culture and traditions, we do not have this kind of openness, especially when it comes to showing each other’s body. Participant: Radwa Rabee Ibrahim Saad My culture shock:

14. FIJI Bula Located: Greeting: ‘Education for Equal Opportunity’ is still an on-going challenge in Fiji because socio-economic factors have contributed to huge dropouts from schools. Participant: Simione T. Sevudredre Equal opportunity for all:

15. FIJI Bula Located: Greeting: Fijian culture observes silence as a mark of respect. Youths and children, when among older generation, are not expected to speak up or question anything. It took a long time for me to speak up and express my thoughts in an international environment due to this culture. Participant: Simione T. Sevudredre My culture shock:

16. GREECE Ya sou Located: Greeting: Greece presented the Olympic Education Programme. Students learn about the history of the games, the modern era of Olympics and how Olympism promotes cooperation, participation, fair play, international understanding, and world peace. Participant: Vasilis Tikos - Moustakas The importance of Olympism:

17. GREECE Ya sou Located: Greeting: I didn’t experience any culture shock, but the biggest shock was to realise the fact that no matter what our age is, we can be strongly bonded together to understand about the world and its people. Participant: Vasilis Tikos - Moustakas My culture shock:

18. INDIA Namaste Located: Greeting: India is a land of 1 billion people, different cultures, more than 325 languages united as a single nation. Participant: Pradip Somasundaran The importance of unity:

19. INDIA Namaste Located: Greeting: Being a vegetarian, I had hard time adjusting to Japanese food. Being nude together in a Japanese bath was another shock for me. Participant: Pradip Somasundaran My culture shock:

20. INDONESIA Apa Kabar Located: Greeting: In order to give a good access to education for all people of Indonesia, Government provides non-formal education programmes that could be found in many small groups of society. Participant: Trisna Wardhani Access for all:

21. INDONESIA Apa Kabar Located: Greeting: I was shocked to find out that we were all different and I had to adjust myself with the differences. However, finally, I was able to find out that importance of respect and understanding for each other as human beings was a universal thing. Participant: Trisna Wardhani My culture shock:

22. JAPAN Located: Greeting: Konnichiwa Compulsory education is from 7 to 15 years old. For the purpose of giving equal education to every Japanese, there are school for students with special needs, such as school for visually impaired, mentally challenged, etc. We have a high literacy rate of almost 100%. Participant: Yasuteru Torii National curriculum:

23. JAPAN Located: Greeting: Konichiwa I had problem with drying bed mattress in the USA. Concept of time, eating time and sleeping time are different between Japanese and Latin Americans. My culture shock:

24. LAOS Sabaidee Located: Greeting: Education is most important to Laos People’s Democratic Republic because it is the key to open the door for civilisation of the country. Participant: Bountary Bandasack The importance of education:

25. LAOS Sabaidee Located: Greeting: The working hours and family styles (after getting married) in Egypt and Laos are very different. Participant: Bountary Bandasack My culture shock:

26. MALAYSIA Apa Kabar Located: Greeting: Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Participant: Aidah Bt. Kassim Continuous efforts:

27. MALAYSIA Apa Kabar Located: Greeting: I was very surprised and pleased to find that Japanese people were very kind and helpful for the person they met for the first time. Participant: Aidah Bt. Kassim My culture shock:

28. MEXICO Hola Located: Greeting: Intercultural bilingual education in the frame of a plural world is our new trend. It is a system that incorporates the technological and scientific progress with the values of a particular culture. Participant: Jean Paul Soren Olmedo Ruiz New trend in education:

29. MEXICO Hola Located: Greeting: I realized that in general, Japanese and Mexican cultures are very different. However, we have one thing in common: we both have gender discriminations in our societies. Participant: Jean Paul Soren Olmedo Ruiz My culture shock:

30. MYANMAR Mingalaba Located: Greeting: Health education has always been a part of the school curriculum in Myanmar. It trains students to take care of self-hygience and to raise awareness of a clean environment. Participant: Daw Phyu Phyu Win The importance of health education:

31. MYANMAR Mingalaba Located: Greeting: Myanmar and Japanese cultures are similar in terms of respect for elders. However, the big difference is the fact that some Japanese women smoke. This is very different from my country. Participant: Daw Phyu Phyu Win My culture shock:

32. PHILIPPINES Mabuhay Located: Greeting: The Philippine 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) consists of subjects like, Filipino, English, mathematics, science and “Makabayan” which is a combination of social studies, music, arts, health and physical education. Participant: Lozano Jingky Pamesa Basic education curriculum:

33. PHILIPPINES Mabuhay Located: Greeting: Dressing culture of traditional clothes in Brunei and undressing culture at a public bath in Japan are very different from my culture in the Philippines. Participant: Lozano Jingky Pamesa My culture shock:

34. SINGAPORE Ni hao Located: Greeting: Singapore students are streamed into different streams in their secondary education based on their academic abilities so as to maximize their individual potentials. Participant: Son Wei Meng Maximizing individual potentials:

35. SINGAPORE Ni hao Located: Greeting: I was shocked by the crowdedness of the trains in Japan during peak hours. Even when the train is already very packed, people still try to get in, and the train attendants push them into the train. Participant: Son Wei Meng My culture shock:

36. THAILAND Sawaddee Located: Greeting: Students with special needs have the right and opportunity to receive basic education by joining the same class with normal students. Participant: Woraphat Sungnoi Special education:

37. THAILAND Sawaddee Located: Greeting: I was surprised at the timing when Japanese give gifts when visiting someone’s home. Privilege to Japanese male also surprises me. In Thailand, female have more privileges. Participant: Woraphat Sungnoi My culture shock:

38. TANZANIA Jumbo Located: Greeting: The major goal in the provision of education in Tanzania is to guarantee access to pre-primary education, primary education and adult literacy to all citizens as a basic right. All Tanzanian children are required to go to school though there is a number of them who have not had the opportunity to do so. Participant: Mercyflorah Elia Temu Equal opportunities:

39. TANZANIA Jumbo Located: Greeting: Japanese tradition of grand bath was shocking. I was also surprised that neighbours are very close in Japanese villages. Participant: Mercyflorah Elia Temu My culture shock:

40. U.K. Located: Greeting: Hello Britain is a post-traditional society which is grappling with modernisation and globalisation. This has raised important questions about Britain’s identity with itself and the world. Participant: Dylan George Butler Presentation about:

41. U.K. Located: Greeting: Hello I was surprised with the Japanese attitude to conceptions and access to condoms are very conservative in Japan. Participant: Dylan George Butler My culture shock:

42. VIETNAM Chao Located: Greeting: All citizens are equal in learning opportunities without distinction of ethnicity, religion, belief, sex, family origin, and social position. Participant: Nguyen Thi Thu Hien Equal opportunities:

43. VIETNAM Chao Located: Greeting: I was surprised with the flavour of Japanese food because it had the smell of soya sauce. In Vietnam, we eat more spicy food. Participant: Nguyen Thi Thu Hien My culture shock:

44. Diversity Tolerance Awareness Acceptance Respect What is International / Intercultural Understanding? Communication Solidarity Peace Unity Love Non-judgemental

45. Why is it important to promote international/ intercultural understanding?

46. METHODS leaflets Lectures sports seminars on line education non-competitive games video website long distance education radio broadcast dramas pamphlets skits

47. These approaches would help foster international/intercultural understanding with the aim to promote harmonious living in society.

48. UNESCO has also generated a Charter in order to achieve this same goal and is undertaking a number of global initiatives. Human Rights Declaration Article 26, Pragraph 2

49. The following objectives should be implemented in order to promote International Understanding among nations: • An international dimension and a global perspective in education at all levels • Understanding and respect for all people, their cultures civilizations/ values and ways of life • Awarness of the increasing global interdependance between people and nations • Abilities to communicate with others • Awarness of the rights and duties incumbent upon individuals, societies and nations

50. Understanding of the necessity for international solidarity and cooperation • Readiness on the part of the individual to participate in solving the problems of his community, country and the world at large • Combining learning, training, information and action, international education should further the appropriate intellectual and emotional development of the individual • Education should stress the inadmissibility of recourse to war for purposes of expansion and domination • Education should contribute to International Understanding and strengthening of world peace and to the activities in the struggle against all forms of racialism, fascism and other ideologies that breed national and international hatred