I nt roduc t ion
The Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) promotes regional
cooperation and exchange activities in the ﬁelds of education and culture forthe purpose of realising a peaceful and sustainable society where cultural
diversity is duly respected. As one of our activities, we have carried out
bilateral International Exchange Programmes for School Teachers between
Japan and the Republic of Korea, the Peopleʼs Republic of China, Thailand
and India since 2001. In March 2022, we prepared this booklet ʻTREE ofInternational Exchange: Invitation to Teachersʼ International Exchangeʼ inJapanese and English in order to share the achievements and voices fromparticipants of the 20-year-long project with people in the front line. This year
the programmes were carried out as a part of ʻInternational Collaboration
Programme for Education in the New Eraʼ entrusted by the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) .
The ʻTREEʼ in the title originates from Asia-Paciﬁc Educatorsʼ Platform: TREE,
a website for programme participants. Our International Exchange
Programmes for School Teachers provide a place of Transformative learning,
Respect for diversity, Exploration and Exchanges (TREE).
This booklet consists of an introduction to international exchange
opportunities (Chapter 1), interviews of teachers (Chapter 2 ) and topics oninternational exchange for school teachers in FY2021 (Chapter 3 ). We hopethat this booklet would motivate you, with or without the experience of the
programme, after understanding about international exchange itself and thevoices of the participant teachers.
Last but not least, many people have participated in the creation of thisbooklet. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all.

Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO（ACCU）
International Educational Exchange Department



Chapter 2：

Voice of participants,QYLWDWLRQ WR7HDFKHUV,QWHUQDWLRQDO([FKDQJH&217(176

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Whether on-site or online, teachers respect and learn
from one anotherI nterv i ew

Japan-Korea Exchange

Introduction
Chapter 1：

Welcome to Teachersʼ International Exchange

Welcome to TREE of International ExchangeCreate connections and expand exchanges

Opportunities where teachers in Asia
meet and learn from one another- The Republic of Korea

- The People's Republic of China

- Thailand- India#１：

Mr. TANI Atsuhiko#２：

Mr. KOH Young Nam

I nterv i ew

Japan-China Exchange

Ms. AKAMATSU Junko《 A case example in China 》

I nterv i ew

Japan-Thailand Exchange#１：

Ms. Wishita KESARAKSHA#２：

Mr. Narong SIRIMUANG、Ms. Teerada UDOMSUP、#３：

Mr. Sin PROMMAN

Mr. Busaror POHDING、Ms. Rangsiya KHANTASEEMA

4

5



Interview

Japan-India Exchange

Mr. Siddhartha CHAKRABARTI
Ms. MATSUI IchikoInterviewerʼ s postscript

Chapter 3：2021- 2022 Topics of Teachersʼ International
Exchange2021-2022 Topics of International
Exchange Programme for TeachersEvents related to UNESCO and ESD in 2021 andInternational Exchange Programme for School TeachersOnline Exchange TodayUtilisation to in-service teacher training

Scenes from 2021- 2022 Programme

The Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO（ACCU）



Conclusion

Welcome to

Teachersʼ International Exchange

Chapter6ome toelc
W

Why not interact across borders with other teachers who have gotten commonofInternational
Exchange

International exchange opportunities through education are open to adults
as well as children.

8interests and issues, or look for friends and chances to start a new initiative?

The ACCUʼs International Exchange Programmes for School Teachers provide
learning opportunities for teachers, children and schools to improve, where

teachers assume a leading role. ACCU also encourages them to disseminate
and give their experiences back to their educational practices after theparticipation of programmes.

9

In the International Exchange Programmes for School Teachers, you work

Experienceon various activities, including before and after the programme. Participants

are exposed to new opinions and perspectives through a variety of activities

ranging from preparation to sharing of experiences after the programme. You
can deepen your inner and outer learning by ﬁnding common interests anddiscovering non-verbalized issues while connecting with others.

《 Period 》 - About one week for an on-site programme- One time only, a few times a month or other format for
an online programme《 Video 》

Introduction of International Exchange Programmes for School
Teachers (with English subtitles)
https://youtu.be/YDjdyLxJcNU

Preparation

Through lectures, programme participants learn the education circumstances,educational policy of the central government, and eﬀorts in classrooms of thecountry you interact with.
You prepare for the exchange by learning not only about the country, but also about
international exchange, international understanding, and the relation between global
issues and education.
10

On-site programmes provide opportunities to visit a foreign country to pay a direct
visit to local schools, educational institutions, or cultural facilities. The receiving side
experiences welcoming foreign teachers in their own region and school to spendsome time together.
Since COVID-19 broke out, we have implemented online exchange programmes. The
programmes provide experience, including direct dialogue and exchange through thescreen, a video, and group work with the aid of an application.

Interaction

Teachers who visit a foreign country are expected to learn their experience andopinions, absorb them and ask questions, as well as to share those of themselves.
Proactive participation in activities such as exchange classes, Q&A sessions, andexchange meetings can deepen their learning mutually.
Whether online or on-site, we value interaction resulting from learning from one
another.
11

Sharing information with others

Create connections and expand exchanges
Meet other teachers across the regions on Asia-Paciﬁc Educatorsʼ
Platform: TREE, a social media service for programme participants!

What is TREE?
TREE is a membership-basedsocial media service for Japaneseand overseas teachers who haveparticipated in or cooperated on
International Exchange
Programmes for School Teachers
to facilitate exchanges among
them and has been fully operated
in Japanese and English since
2020.

This programme includes sharing of your learning, experience, and opinions as its
important process.
In the programme, there is an opportunity to share your learning through apresentation in a debrieﬁng session and the submission of a report. It is expectedthat you expand your learning after the programme by talking about your experienceto people around you and by publishing articles.
Your activity report and opinion on the programme will improve future programmes.
Participants can also share information with each other by using a website called
TREE（P.13）.

Receiving foreign teachers

TREE stands forTransformative learning,
Respect for diversity,
Exploration andExchanges.

Join TREE<- Scan the QR code to register yourmembership (on computer or smartphone).
① Application for membership registration② Identiﬁcation by administrator (within three business days)③ Receipt of e-mail announcing registration completion◎ If you add the page to your smartphone home screen,
you can easily have access by tapping once like an app.

Receiving foreign teachers at your school is a whole school experience. It provides
opportunities such as having a class by the foreign teachers, deep dialogue throughan exchange meeting. Taking this as an opportunity, diverse development is
expected, including exchanges between classrooms or schools, and participation ofteachers in dispatch programmes.
12

What you can do on TREE :After registration- Provision of materials and videos from thesecretariat to participants of International
Exchange Programmes for School Teachers- Information exchange among programmeparticipants- Finding interaction and project participants- Sharing your educational activities- Set proﬁle picture- Search for friends and send friend
requests- Join a group of your interest and enter agroup in the programme that you participate- Read a post by another user and leave
a comment- Make a post

13

Opportunities where teachers in Asia meet,03&"

and learn from one another

The ACCU has implemented bilateral International Exchange Programmes for
School Teachers since 2001, on consignment from UNESCO, United Nations
University, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology of Japan (MEXT).

Partner organisations

I n te rv i e w of p a rti ci p a n ts → P.22

Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU),
Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea (MOE)

Between 2001 and October 2021, as many as 2,238 school teachers participated(including online programmes).

We have had the longest exchange with the Republic of Korea. Soon the

Peopleʼs Republic of China joined, and the exchange was expanded to Thailand
and India over the last six to seven years. Over these 20 years, many teachers
have met through the programme and mutually deepened their learning.

Here, from the standpoint of the ACCU, we introduce the history of exchanges
with each country.

+"1"/

Host

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT)

Planning, implementation and operation

Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)

Various regions, schools, and generations

A total of 1,171 school teachers have participated in dispatch programmes (as of
October 2021, including online programmes).
A total of 139 school teachers have participated in exchange meetings with foreignteachers (as of October 2021, including online programmes).
A total of 913 Boards of Education, schools and institutions have received visitsfrom foreign teachers (as of October 2021, including online programmes).

Programme timeline

Programme timeline

2001 ： Start of exchange programme with Korea
2002 ： Start of exchange programme with China
2010 ： 10th anniversary of the programme
2015 ： Start of exchange programme with Thailand
2016 ： Start of exchange programme with India
2020 ： 20th anniversary of the programme, start of Asia-Paciﬁc Educatorsʼ Platform: TREE
14











15

$)*/"

Partner organisations

Ministry of Education of the Peopleʼs Republic of China (MOE)5)"*-"/%

Partner organisations

I n te rv i e w of p a rti ci p a n ts → P.42

Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Thailand (MOE)

Between 2003 and October 2021, as many as 1,732 school teachers participated(including online programmes).

90 school teachers participated between 2015 and October 2021 (including online
programmes).

Programme timeline

Programme timeline



16

I nter vi e w of pa rt icipa nt s → P.34















17

*/%*"

Partner organisations

I nter vie w of pa rt icipa nt s → P.54

Ministry of Education (MoE) of the Government of India,
Centre for Environment Education of India (CEE)

71school teachers participated between 2016 and October 2021 (including online
programmes).

Voice of participants

Programme timeline






Chapter18

“ 9RLFH ”RI3DUWLFLSDQWVWhether on-site or online,
teachers respect and learn
from one anotherIn the interviews, their names are noted in accordance with howthey usually address each other.

They may be on a last-name basis or a ﬁrst-name basis, and we
respect the names used in each case.

Between 2001 and 2021, over 5,000 teachers participated in theInternational Exchange Programmes for School Teachers. This seemsa large ﬁgure. What is each teacher like?
In Chapter 2, through interviews of teachers who have participated in
the exchange programmes between Japan and Korea, China, Thailand
and India, we will observe the exchange programmes from theviewpoint of participants.

20

Japan-Korea
Exchange

Japan-China
Exchange

P. 22

P. 34

Japan-Thailand
Exchange

Japan-India
Exchange

P. 42

P. 54

21

-DSDQ.RUHD([FKDQJH
+BQBO

×

5IF3FQVCMJDPG,PSFB

A global citizen is someone
who knows their region well

Common ground found in exchange among teachers in small-scale schools# １：

Mr. TANI Atsuhiko

ACCU ： You participated in our International Exchange Programmes for
School Teachers for the ﬁrst time. What was your experience like having aninternational exchange in a small group online?
Mr. TANI Atsuhiko (Tani) ： I had never had a chance to talk with overseas
teachers, and it was my very ﬁrst international exchange. As it was online, I
participated in the programme with excitement about how it would be. I took part inTeachers who gave an interview

Mr. TANI Atsuhiko

Teacher from Wajiki Primary School in Naka-cho, Tokushima
Participated in the outreach programme (online), a sub programme of theInvitation Programme for Teachers from the Republic of Korea in 2020

Mr. KOH Young Nam
Teacher from Kirin High School
Participated in the outreach programme (online), a sub programme of theInvitation Programme for Teachers from the Republic of Korea in 2020

Background of interview
As mentioned on page 14-15, the exchange between Japan and Korea has thelongest history in the International Exchange Programmes for School Teachers. In
2020, the ACCU carried out the ﬁrst outreach programme between Japan and
Korea. This was implemented to expand the programme to small-scale schools in
islands and mountainous areas, which were less convenient for exchange owing togeographical reasons.
As this programme was a new approach for exchange between Japan and Korea,
and allowed teachers to learn a lot from one another, we have decided to conduct aninterview with one teacher respectively from Japan and Korea, who participated inthat programme. In this interview, these two teachers also delivered common
messages almost as if they had made an arrangement earlier.
22

it, wondering if it was all right for a less-experienced teacher like me to join in. Once I
participated, I found it really enlightening as I could take enough time to listen to
Korean teachers with the aid of an interpreter. Although it was an online programme,
it was satisfying because we had time to listen to each teacher in turns.
ACCU ： Especially among the Koreans, there were several experienced
teachers. What struck you most when you interacted with Korean teachers?
Tani ：

I usually have little chance to interact with people who take uniqueapproache, to express my thoughts, or to listen to others. So, I got the impressionthat the participants were all determined and did not hesitate to do what theywanted to do. The programme itself was informative, and further, I was encouragedby their attitude as a teacher and their toughness.
ACCU ： During the programme, I heard that you provided children withlearning focused on regional issues. How have you provided your educational
practice since participation in the programme?
Tani ： We have a local speciality called Awa Bancha, which is fermented tea madeby a traditional method, and this ﬁscal year (FY2021) we are picking the tea leaves
and fermenting them with children as our initiative. We interact with local farmers
and conduct research and interviews to learn how the tea is accepted by local
people.
I have worked for the school for three years, and now I feel like I can ﬁnally try what I
would like to do. At ﬁrst, I waited and saw how things could go because I had little
experience, but this year, I have asked my supervisor and school for favours to let23me carry out activities I wish to do. Now I think more and more teachers work
together and people approach us with interest.
ACCU ： Children can also enjoy themselves with a wider range of activities,
canʼt they?
Tani ： Indeed. They have fun. Children I used to be in charge of say to me, ʻThere
was no such activity last yearʼ enviously, and all I can reply is ʻSorry about thatʼ. I also
take pleasure as we have more activities like this now.
ACCU ： From what you just told us, I sense that your activities have become
signiﬁcantly diﬀerent for the last year.

Tani ： You are right. For example, tea farmers who have worked together say, ʻWe
will do this again next yearʼ. Children also tell me that they would like to give what
they have experienced back to the region and to promote the tea to people who are

Tani ： You are right. Last yearʼs exchange supported our activities enormously.

not familiar with it, so we are proactively planning what we can do during the

Before that, I sometimes became pessimistic while taking on diﬀerent challenges, but

COVID-19 pandemic.

now I have been stimulated and encouraged by what other teachers talked about,which has made me take another step forward to do my best.
ACCU ： How do you plan, organise and implement your activities?
Tani ： Every day I consider, ʻCan we do this?ʼ or ʻCan we do that?ʼ I love doing so,

ACCU ： Letʼs go back to international exchange. Did the exchange become areason to make you carry out your educational activities more thoroughly?
Tani ： I had had little international perspective. As I had conducted my activities
mostly within rather narrow limits, having acquired an international perspective

and I always visualise what kind of things we can do. It has almost become my hobby

means a lot to me all in all. I always thought about cultivating children who will haveto imagine how interesting it would be if we invited such and such a person when I

an active role in society, and now I have developed a wish to cultivate children who

watch the news. What matters is whether I have the courage to take a step forward

will be remarkably active in the international community, which I believe is made use

to put that into practice. As that makes me quite busy, it depends on whether I canof to create a lesson plan.

take a step when wrestling with an impact on other matters and a sense that my work
might be harder. I had unhurriedly considered making the tea for a long time.

ACCU ： When we talk with diﬀerent teachers, we sometimes hear that a bar

Although I draw up the outline of a plan at the beginning of a school year, the activity

is set too high for international exchange programmes to participate in. Do

may be expanded during its course, and children can certainly change their opinions. I

you also feel that way?

have fun proceeding with activities while making adjustments.

24

Tani ： Yes. Since I had expected that skilled and experienced teachers would

ACCU ： While expanding your activities in that way, the connection with theparticipate in such a programme as representatives of Japan, I had set a high bar byregions and opportunities for children to oﬀer a presentation have been

myself, wondering if a teacher like me would be allowed to take part in theincreasing, havenʼt they?

programme.

25

ACCU ： What conditions do you think facilitate participation?

empathised with them, and felt relief to know other participants also face similar
issues. I sensed that a lot of people felt the same way as I did, which made me talk. It

Tani ： Well. It was quite easy for me to take part in the online programme. Since

was really pleasant.

the programme has made me seriously want to visit Korea, I believe that an online
programme is suitable as the ﬁrst step for participation. If you can observe

ACCU ： Several days after your interview, we will also conduct an interview

discussions without participating, it will be interesting and facilitate participation, inwith KOH Young Nam from Korea. Do you have any questions to ask him?

my opinion.
Tani ： Mr. Koh is a high school teacher, and I have got the impression that college
ACCU ： If you have a chance to observe, you might be convinced that you

entrance exams in Korea are highly competitive. When I listened to him, I wondered if

can also participate in the programme, certainly. It may be adequate to start

he had more challenges than in primary and middle schools to provide uniquesmall, where a participant takes an acquaintance, hoping that the person willpractices under such circumstances. As Mr. Koh always talked about his practicealso take part in the programme.

with a smile, I got the impression that he fully enjoyed doing his job. I would like him

In the outreach programme, we hoped that participants would share their

to look back and tell us how he spent his days when he was a young teacher.

concerns and issues while having dialogue. It might be a little easier for themto talk if there are small-scale multiple exchanges. A certain session was

ACCU ： We will deﬁnitely ask him that question.

actually held with the theme of ʻCounselling room to share concernsʼ. How did

Here is the last question for you. What kind of teacher would you like to

you like it?

become in the future, and what kind of children would you like to cultivate?

Tani ： At ﬁrst, I doubted if I should talk, but when I listened to concerns andTani ： I donʼt want to make a grandiose claim, and I would like to keep doing what I

challenges from Korean teachers, I felt that they were the same as me. I was glad,

am trying to do now. Moreover, since this exchange has taught me how important it
is to express what you are burdened with, I would like to become someone who canbuild up a circle of friends to expand what I have learned through practice and daily
activities. I hope to have a wider aﬀect progressively on even one or two persons.
I have always loved my town as my major feature and virtue, and I became a teacher
because I wanted to cultivate children who will love the town. Although I used tothink that I loved my town only, I have found out that when I visit diﬀerent places, I
can also be attracted to those places surprisingly. As a matter of fact, if you love
your own town, you can be fond of the place where you are, whatever society, region
or country you go to. This has come from my experience, and I have hoped tocultivate children who will love their town since I was a student.
(Interview conducted on 16 October, 2021)

2020 - 2021 Outreach Programme

26

27

# ２：

Mr. KOH Young Nam

think this way. I believe that passion and sincerity alone would make a young teacher
successful initially, if you allow me the liberty of oﬀering some advice. I have the

ACCU ： First, please tell us what you think of the programme and yourimpression that Mr. Tani is a passionate teacher who works diligently and earnestly.

impression you had then.

The question is how you sustain your passion. As this is not what you can do in aday, all you can do is to take a little time to put your passion in a sustainable form

Mr. KOH Young Nam (Koh) ： I would like to tell you two things. First of all, I was

while engaging in teaching.

pleased to talk with teachers from small schools. Although I knew that Japan and
Korea shared a lot of traits in common, the talk with other teachers reminded me

ACCU ： I will tell Mr. Tani what you just shared with us.

that there were so many common traits. As the population in the region is

You mentioned that it is diﬃcult to sustain. Speaking of sustainability, what are

decreasing, not to mention a decline in the number of children, we brought up the

your challenges in educational activities on a daily basis?

topic of how we should provide education. Sharing stories that teachers provide
education uncompromisingly even under such circumstances warmed my heart.

Koh ： I have been engaged in such educational activities for about ten years.

Second of all, it is important to provide education with the local community involved,

Especially for the ﬁrst ﬁve years, I worked without distraction, and in the sixth year I

as well as school education. A Japanese teacher said that education should betook only few days-oﬀ. When I was in such circumstances, I found out that there arecontinually provided, instead of providing one thing at a time. Keywords such as

some conditions to ensure sustainability. At ﬁrst, I thought that I could work hard

ʻenvironmentʼ and ʻlanguageʼ (note by ACCU: in a school in Hachijo Island, children

alone, but I have learned that my hard work alone is not enough to achieve anything.

learn the Hachijo Language within Hachijo Studies) are picked up, with which

Since I realised this, I have formed the opinion that it is important to work together

continuous education is provided, but such a concept has not yet taken root inwith others slowly in small steps even if there is something missing. Lately I work on

Korea, so I have learned a lot. Additionally, I have come to think that three keywords

activities with an adjusted speed. It is not easy to work with others instead ofof ʻsharing, empathy and communicationʼ should vitalise the exchange between

working alone.

Japan and Korea.

Another challenge is being spontaneous and active. Now we are not in the days
when we can force others to do anything in every aspect. As mentioned in an OECD

ACCU ： ʻSharing, empathy and communicationʼ can be big keywords indeed.

document, ʻagencyʼ means taking an independent action, where true independence

In the programme, it was impressive that teachers from schools with manyis exercised. It is very diﬃcult to apply this to schools, and I always have a hard time

points in common talked to each other.

deciding how to draw this out well.

Actually, a fortnight ago, we conducted an interview with Mr. Tani, whoparticipated in the programme from Japan, and he had a question for you.
What kind of teacher were you when you were young?
Koh ： I became a teacher when I was 36 years old. I did postgraduate studies until
my early thirties. So, when I began as a teacher, I reckoned that I had a slightly
diﬀerent perspective from other teachers. Here is what I keep saying: ʻWhen aperson has a personality, the action the person takes becomes his or her quality.
The quality is, in other words, conﬁdence. Conﬁdence creates empathy. The createdempathy becomes cultureʼ. However, it would be impossible for young people to28

29

ACCU ： It will be brilliant if we have an opportunity to discuss such a topic.

make eﬀorts, including making a green wall with morning glories and growing ﬂowers

You said that taking independent action is the most diﬃcult thing to do andto help the environment.

gives you a hard time. Can you tell me speciﬁc activities you carry out at
school these days?

ACCU ： I see. Japanese high school students also address issues at school andin the community, and take action after they themselves come up with a

Koh ： We promote the IB educational programmes (note by ACCU: international

solution. There seems to be a lot in common between Japan and Korea as we

educational programmes provided by the International Baccalaureate Organization)

expected. Among your various activities, what kind of activity is international

now. In Korea, Jeju Island promotes the IB education in an advanced manner. We set

exchange for you?

out on a tour to visit a primary school, a middle school and a high school that pursue
the IB education to learn more. As a programme implemented at school, I just

Koh ： As international exchange, I have taken students to Japan seven or eightparticipated in a Plogging event (note by ACCU: a combination of ʻPlockaUppʼ andtimes. Besides this, I have also taken them to Russia, the United States andʻJoggingʼ to represent an activity started in Sweden) right before this interview. We

Southeast Asia. When I ask myself what those who have received global citizenshippick up litter while walking around the school. I always consider what we can do ineducation are like, I gather that they are equipped with a universal intellect, and aour daily life. Although we recently made eﬀorts for two months in a school term toperson who only thinks about a certain region or themselves cannot be called a

reduce leftovers of school lunch, we were not able to reduce them at all. The reason

global citizen. For students, international exchange is an important opportunity to

it did not work was that our action did not lead to practice. They did it in front oflook ahead to the future with a broad view.

teachers but not without teachers. I understand that this is not good. Students mustact voluntarily without teachers. Other than these, using examples from Japan, we

ACCU ： It is indeed a signiﬁcant opportunity. How about international
exchange for teachers?
Koh ： What made me start international exchange for students is the participationin 10-day training in Japan for a programme implemented by the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT). So, I ﬁndinternational exchange for teachers important without doubt. Currently, education isshifting toward being more future-minded. Japan is likely to already have establishedsuch a practice, and Korea also aims for future-oriented education. Since the views
and values of teachers aﬀect children directly in future-oriented education,international exchange for teachers is extremely important in my opinion. Before I
participated in the training in Japan, I was a banal English teacher. I only gave lessons
every day, but since I went to Japan, I have conducted various activities. I especiallycarry out activities related to peace between Japan and Korea, the environment,
global citizenship education, and sustainable future. I visited Japan in the summer of2015, and ﬁve months later, we went there with 24 students and four teachers. The
training in Japan gave me courage to take action, so I would like to take thisopportunity to express my appreciation.

30

31

ACCU ： I am glad to hear that your visit to Japan has motivated you. We ask

your birth, no global citizenship education can be successful. I am convinced that

this question to other teachers as well, but what kind of teacher would you likeyou should start global citizenship education from learning about oneʼs own

to become in the future, and what kind of students would you like to cultivate?

circumstances.

Koh ： As I became a teacher at the age of 36, there is an institutional constraint tocharacter starts on a journey to seek a true life, and the answer lies... (note by

aim for a managerial or specialist position. I would like to devotedly spend precious

ACCU: the ending of the story is concealed) This book taught me that the value in

In a book called The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho, the story goes that the maintime with children in the future. And to study further, I am thinking about going backlife stays close to you. In global citizenship education, our living and life stay close toto graduate school by taking leave next year. I would like to get an education tous, not far from us. In Korea, I believe that peace and environment are of importancebecome an expert in community education. In my region, the population of children

in providing global citizenship education, and that is how I pursue such education.

as well as residents is decreasing. I am inclined to study to be a community

However, I sometimes feel that I do not practise it well enough and that there is still

education expert, stepping out of my role merely as an English teacher.

something missing, and that is why I would like to learn more at graduate school.

ACCU ： I respect your attitude to keep learning.

(Interview conducted on 27 October, 2021)

For something completely diﬀerent, I hear that you have been transferredfrom the school you worked for at the time of the programme, and yourexperience of a variety of activities in your former school is made use of atyour new school.
Koh ： I have continued to carry out the activities I had in the former school also at
my new school. As those activities had not been conducted in Kirin High School,
where I work now, they watch me doing something new. I also engage in anotheractivity, in which local residents come to the school to conduct activities. I havecarried this out since May, and it is fun.
ACCU ： Thank you very much. I sense that you work on community education
devotedly. Finally, please can you share with us what you think the beauty ofcommunity education is, and what you have in mind to promote global

2020 - 2021 Outreach Programme

citizenship education in your region?
Koh ： Although, when I was a high school student, we only had to study at school,
now it is required to have skills of empathy, communication and cooperation in
addition to knowledge. You can learn these not only at school but also in yourcommunity. In global citizenship education, we use the term ʻglocalʼ. It is acombination of ʻglobalʼ and ʻlocalʼ. Global citizenship education should be provided
99.9 per cent in your residence or your hometown. Without knowing the place of
32

33

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Every experience is
to give back to students

Ms. AKAMATSU Junko (Akamatsu) ： In FY2019, I was the deputy headmistressat Kawanishi Meiho High School in Hyogo. As Kawanishi Meiho High School provided
education with the aim of becoming a member school of the UNESCO Associated
Schools Network based on the SDGs and ESD as the schoolʼs principles of
education, at the suggestion of the headmaster at the time, they were proactively
engaged in exchange with foreign schools and international exchange among
students. In 2018, the school sent a young teacher to Korea for the ACCUʼsprogramme. The destination the following year (2019) was China. To tell you thetruth, the school wished to have a young teacher go instead of me, but it isTeacher who gave an interview

Ms. AKAMATSU Junko

extremely diﬃcult for a school to have a teacher leave school for a fortnight to go
abroad. This would, of course, aﬀect classes. Even if classes could be covered, itwould have been diﬃcult because it would have been during an examination period,
when the studentsʼ grades for a term would not be processed without marking

Headmistress of Seiun High School in Hyogo

exams of the subject of which the teacher is in charge. So, when we considered who

Participated in the Invitation Programme for Japanese Teachers by thewould go, I volunteered to participate.

Government of China (dispatched to China), and participated in
exchange meeting with Thai teachers in FY 2019
Participated in online exchange between Japanese and Chineseteachers in FY 2020

Background of interview

ACCU ： In the programme in Korea in 2018, I met the teacher from Kawanishi
Meiho High School.
Akamatsu ： Although, under ordinary circumstances, it is the best for such ayoung teacher to participate in a programme, it is really complicated, and I

Currently, in October 2021, the International Exchange Programmes for School

remember that the programme in 2018 was also almost in an examination period.

Teachers are provided online on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, for us teachers, it is ideal if a programme is in the middle of our holidays. The

Right before the COVID-19 broke out, Ms. Akamatsu participated in a programme

reason I volunteered even when it was in a tricky period is that I am a social studies

for visiting China and an exchange meeting with Thai teachers in succession in 2019,teacher. I have taught social studies for a long time, but I went to an Asian country

and she also took part in an online exchange programme in 2020.

for the ﬁrst time when I visited Thailand for exchange for managerial staﬀ of Hyogo

She shared with us a wide variety of her stories such as an unexpected reason to

two years before I went to China. To be honest, I had an inner conﬂict when I went tovisit Asian countries, creating lesson plans for social studies and her way of working

Thailand. When I talk about wars in my social studies classes, I tell my students thatas a supervisor.

Japan caused considerable trouble for Asian countries. I am aware that the older
generation that has actually experienced a war has a sense of discrimination against
Asia, but I myself have received human rights education, which disapproves of that.
Nonetheless, I suppose that most of my generation exist with fear and mental

ACCU ： Can you ﬁrst tell us what made you participate in the dispatch

conﬂict, wondering how Asian people view the Japanese.

programme to China in 2019?

It means a lot to me to go and see China for myself in the context of where I willteach again after I retire (in the reappointment system). While engaging in social

34

35

studies education, I also need to interpose the instructional materials and lessonplans of younger teachers, suggesting ʻYou have got that incorrectʼ or ʻIt is wrong toteach as if nothing had happenedʼ. In that sense, I reckoned that it would be valuable
to learn about current China and the feelings of the Chinese, and that is why I took
part in the programme.
ACCU ： I see. Did the fact that you had visited Thailand before lead to yourparticipation in the programme in China?
Akamatsu ： Yes, thatʼs right. I received a really big welcome in Thailand as well as
in China. They showed us the details of their education at the time, and although if
we talk more about detailed points, we might often get involved in an argument, I feltthat through the encounter with Thai people we could interact with Asian people in a
future-oriented manner. And then I became more and more curious to know about
China, which led to my taking part in the programme.
2019 Dispatch Programme to China

ACCU ： We are delighted that you participated in the programme. When wevisited China, the school we were going to visit the next day suddenly asked us

about the ACCU. When they learn that their teacher has been to China or that she is

to choose two Japanese teachers to speak about Japan, when you and the

involved with UNESCO, they will feel closer to the teacher. Although I have neverother teacher took the job. Although it was such short notice, you took it

been to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan,

positively and spoke about Japan in a no-nonsense manner, for which we are

I am going to tell them that I visited the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry of

truly grateful. And what is more, you also oﬀered a presentation as a member

Education of China to ask and answer questions. Everything will be given back toof the visit group for the debrief session in the Chinese Embassy after weJapanese students.

came back to Japan. It was an intriguing presentation.
ACCU ： We believe that many people around you are inspired by yourAkamatsu ： We as social studies teachers constantly look for a story to tell toattitude to make everything a topic of your lesson to give back to yourstudents. It is something students react to, by saying, ʻReally?ʼ or ʻNo wayʼ. Who

students. We are glad that a variety of teachers join our programmes. Was it

knows when I will have another chance to go to the Chinese Embassy? Talking about

the policy of the headmaster at the time to have a young teacher participate inwhat it looked like can also be a great story for a class. I was eager to join thethe programme in the ﬁrst place?

debrief session, and oﬀering a presentation there was a great opportunity for me.
Akamatsu ： Yes, thatʼs right. It was not exactly a policy, but the headmaster
ACCU ： Each experience is given back to your lessons, isnʼt it?

primarily intended to have a young teacher participate in the programme andmaintain the experience for a long time for the purpose of making the school itself

36

Akamatsu ： Indeed. Everything can be a learning material. I am also going to talksustainable and providing ESD in a sustainable manner. However, the environment

about todayʼs interview to my students, beginning by asking them if they have heard

did not permit that, and in 2019, the headmaster was transferred. Since the other37

deputy headmaster was also transferred as well as the headmaster, I was in a

As the tree-planting exchange between

position to pass down the approach of the former headmaster. On that account, itJapan and China was already planned, it

was a good idea that I would go, and so I went to China in June. As a matter of fact,

was considered that someone young

in December of that year, I went to Korea as well. It was for a programme forshould participate in the ACCUʼsexchange between Japanese and Korean headmasters implemented by anotherprogramme as a preliminary step toorganisation. At ﬁrst, there was a gathering where Koreans came to Japan (Tokyo) to

become a bridge, I assume. It isinteract, which I joined instead of the headmaster who was unavailable. There, I

signiﬁcant that the headmaster at the

talked a lot, and then I was also invited to a programme to visit Korea together withtime organised the event with a solid

the headmaster because I assume that they thought I was amusing. I learned a lot

plan. I am convinced that it was vitalfrom making a connection in such a way. After I went to China and Korea, I madeand crucial that the dispatch of apermanent a Korean language course which had been held at school on a short-term

teacher was included in the plan. As abasis. Then, many participants joined the course, which has since been broadened.

preliminary step, it is essential to take part in such a programme, if not going to the

Exchange Meeting with Thai Teachers (FY2019)

partner country, to have more teachers who know about the country, in order to run
ACCU ： We heard that your school was planning to accept Chinese highyour event smoothly.

school students after you visited China. Was it realised before COVID-19

Teachers always conduct a preliminary inspection before a school trip, with whichbroke out?

you can keep the same stance. I can oﬀer advice, ʻwhy donʼt you go yourself before
the students come into contact?ʼ

Akamatsu ： In November 2019, Chinese students came to our school for atree-planting exchange between Japan and China. We interacted and had a

ACCU ： You work for a correspondence course school now. You told us oncetree-planting ceremony for a day, and all the clubs gave a big welcome to them andhow diﬃcult it is to promote international exchange there. In what speciﬁc

made various eﬀorts. I reckon that my visit to China has led to the success of thepoint do you ﬁnd diﬃculty?

acceptance of the exchange. This would have been successful without me for sure,but I accepted them by welcoming them with open arms as a deputy headmistress.

Akamatsu ： Basically, students do not come to school every day in acorrespondence course. Students come to school up to 20 days a year even if they

ACCU ： Your experience was made use of to arrange your welcome.

attend all the annual face-to-face lessons and examinations. If they eﬀectively clear
the number of face-to-face lessons required to earn credits, they do not need to

Akamatsu ： For preparation and backup, yes. I was able to support other teachers,come to school any more. For that reason, the same student does not necessarily

saying ʻEven if you have got trouble, it will be all rightʼ.

come to school at the same hour on the same day of week. As each student
chooses when they come to school, they can attend school whenever they want.

ACCU ： We see it means a lot to have such an experience.

Now, in terms of international exchange, students can rarely participate in a group.
As participation is conducted individually, all students cannot engage in international

38

Akamatsu ： Yes, thatʼs right. Fortunately, that allowed me to accept Chinese

exchange like my former (full-time) school. What I can do in such circumstances is tostudents with a sense of reassurance. In that school, there was a teacher who hadtalk with younger teachers. In diverse occasions, I told them to look outward asworked in China and spoke Chinese. I proceeded with the plan in consultation with thatmuch as possible and to go and see for yourself as I had opportunities to haveteacher. This was also one of the factors for the acceptance of the students went well.

experience abroad like this.
39

ACCU ： You say that it is diﬃcult to include students on a schoolwide level
for international exchange, but if the exchange is limited to one between
teachers and foreign counterparts, is there any possibility to a certain degree?
Akamatsu ： Yes, there is. Some young teachers are interested in international

A caseexamplein China

Japanesegoes to China!

Class designing is changed in a 15-minutelearning session!

Now we will introduce a case example where the learning
during the programme has developed into lessons overseas.

exchange. When I speak about the school management policy at the beginning of aIn the online Exchange Programme for School Teachers withyear as the headmistress, I ﬁrst talk about the world, the SDGs and ESD to prevent

China in 2020, Ms. YAN Xi, vice principal of Shanghai

their interest from being diluted. I communicate a message without fail that the

Xinzhuang High School, who took part in the Invitationworld is now like this, and it is important to keep ESD in mind in education. I also

Programme for Teachers from China in 2019, oﬀered awould like to steadily introduce your programmes to teachers. It is easier for

presentation on schools in the post-corona era. Providing

teachers working for correspondence schools to participate because students go to

topics from the aspects of ʻschool life: new lifestyleʼ , ʻeducation/classes: newschool much less often there. I would encourage them more if we were not under

eventsʼ and ʻfuture education: new visionʼ , she talked about interesting content in

the coronavirus pandemic.

terms of the second aspect, ʻeducation/classes: new eventsʼ .
When she visited Japan in 2019, on the way to Nagareyama Otakanomori HighACCU ： We will have online exchange meetings for teachers, and we would
like to keep you informed. It would be lovely if you could make them known to
the teachers in your school.
Lastly, can you please give a message to encourage more people to take part

School in Chiba, a programme broadcasted by NHK WORLD-JAPAN Radio, which
covered the Home Economics class by Ms. NAKADA Ikuko from the school (at thattime) was played on the bus. It was a 15-minute programme called ʻJapanese life
through key wordsʼ , which looked at current Japanese society with the aid of key

in this programme from the standpoint of a managerial position?

words learned from Home Economics in Japan, and the theme was ʻLife Planningʼ .

Akamatsu ： Seeing is believing, I must say. It is necessary to believe in what you

she uses Sugoroku (a Japanese version of backgammon) to put the focus on having

In Ms. Nakadaʼ s Home Economics class as a course unit related to life designing,see and hear, for media messages are often one-way and one-sided. Civil exchange

students exercise their imagination on their life after they graduate from high school

will ultimately lead to the protection of peace in a broad sense. Unless you have faithby understanding school subjects multilaterally and developing the ability to face andthat each individual is not evil, it is impossible to maintain interaction, and it issolve diﬀerent challenges during their life.

diﬃcult to remain a peaceful country. That is why it is important for more civilians

Ms. Yan, inspired by this programme, carried out research to integrate subjects andand educators to become friends to discuss how they cultivate children, and I hopelifelong study at school after returning home. She took what to learn and what liesthat especially young people will advance exchanges to a greater extent.

ahead into consideration in order to enable students to learn knowledge which they
can make the most use of in the future, and to improve their ability of life planning(Interview conducted on 27 October 2021)

with the accumulated skills gained in the process of acquiring knowledge. For
example, she made an eﬀort to encourage studentsʼ willingness to learn subjects
through a series of activities by, for instance, combining biology and the living
environment, or biology and occupations, as well as by explorin g duties ofoccupations, and necessary skills and academic backgrounds in detail.
Although such a ripple eﬀect of learning cannot be evaluated in terms of numbers,
we provide this as an important factor of the Programme!

40

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Passion for international exchangethat realised unprecedented reunions

Background of interview
With the keyword of ʻreunionʼ, we conducted interviews with six teachers who
participated in the Invitation Programme for Teachers from Thailand in 2018. These
teachers gathered in Kanchanaburi Province from diﬀerent areas in response to a
proposal from one of the interviewees Mr. Narong Sirimuang, on the occasion when
Japanese teachers visited Thailand in 2019. There was no such precedence where asingle teacherʼs proposal made many teachers gather in the countryside in an oﬃcial
programme. We asked these teachers from diﬀerent regions and diﬀerent types ofThai teachers who visited Japan in FY 2018schools at diﬀerent ages about the learning in the programme, current educational
activities and the friendships developed within the visiting group. Here are theinterviews conducted on three occasions.

Ms. Rangsiya KHANTASEEMA
Banpaeklang School / Teacher

Ms. Wishita KESARAKSHAACCU ： You visited Tokyo and Miyagi in 2018. What have you learned from

Ms. Wishita KESARAKSHAThe Northern School for the Blind
Occupational Therapist

the programme, and what do you make use of from them?
Ms. Wishita KESARAKSHA (Wishita) ： My experience in the programme helps a

Mr. Narong SIRIMUANG

lot. This is because Thailand is now suﬀering from ﬂooding again. In the north ofSomdej pra piya maharachrommaneeyaket School / Director
School that received Japaneseteachers in FY 2019

# １：

Thailand where I give lessons, earthquakes and ﬂoods occur, and my experience ofvisiting Miyagi is deﬁnitely helpful for such natural disasters. For example, I have
Ms. Teerada UDOMSUP

BanNakhanuan School / Teacher

learned how to deal with natural disasters and how to give one another help as asystem, and I also acquired a broad knowledge of disaster prevention. I wrote anarticle about them to submit to a journal issued by my school. It is a journal forschools for special needs education, which is sent to counterparts in Thailand.
I believe that international exchange provides experience to update teaching skills on
a constant basis. Technology changes at all time, and I am conﬁdent that my school

Mr. Sin PROMMAN

Chumphon Panyanukul School
TeacherMr. Busaror POHDING

Banchokeyae School / Teacher

42

is ready to incorporate new technology into education, but when I visited a school inJapan, I noticed that they used new instructional materials. Although some of themwere what we use in my school, I made new discoveries as well. It was productive inthat sense.

43

ACCU ： You came from a school for special needs education. How did you
like this programme, in which teachers came from various kinds of schools?
Wishita ： As teachers from a variety ofschools participate, and you can shareexperience and opinions, such a programme can
expand your horizons enormously. When solving
a problem, for instance, you can realise that
there are diverse situations. We sometimes
come across a problem that we cannot come up
with a solution for, and I have found a brilliant
example for such a situation. I expect that we

Invitation Programme for Teachers from Thailand (FY2018)

can also make suggestions as teachers at a school for special needs education toprovide useful information for teachers at regular schools.
ACCU ： We hear that you are connected by a LINE group.
Wishita ： This LINE group may be a little special. Before I took part in thisprogramme, I mostly had connections within schools for special needs education,
but this group includes teachers from diverse schools, which allows us to have abroader conversation.
ACCU ： In 2019, you came to the school of Mr. Narong (participant of said
programme) in Kanchanaburi. What was the experience like for you?
Wishita ： I was pleased to see them again. It was also wonderful to have an
opportunity to set out on a tour in Kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi is a historical place
for both Thailand and Japan. I went to see the bridge on the River Kwai and the cavefor railway construction. We also exchanged opinions with Japanese teachers on thestudents support system at schools in Kanchanaburi.
ACCU ： You just talked about teaching skills. How do you work on the
improvement of your teaching skills in Thailand on a daily basis?
Wishita ： I keep receiving training. Especially for the last few years, there have44

been major changes in educational curriculums in Thailand. Because of thecoronavirus crisis, we have had less on-site lessons and more online lessons, whichteachers must deal with. In Thailand, we continually receive training to cover global
movement. Also, I share what I have learned in the Japanese programme regarding
disaster control with other teachers and children under this coronavirus crisis.
ACCU ： You have convinced me that you have had a lot of positive eﬀects on
your fellow teachers. We would like to create a better programme forteachers. Can you please give us some advice?
Wishita ： This programme was excellent because teachers who were motivated tolearn, wished to broaden their perspectives and to enhance their understanding,participated in it.
Personally, I like history, so I suppose that it will be more impressive if the
programme has historical factors. The programme that I took part in was quite
impressive. We went to Miyagi, and the mixture of the fact I learned exactly where
the tsunami had occurred and the feeling I felt there has created a memorable
experience. However, since I am interested in history, if a programme shows what
Japan has got (such as history) as well as new knowledge, I believe that the
impression of the programme will last longer, which will make us feel like going backagain.
ACCU ： That is absolutely enlightening. Thank you very much. Lastly, what45

kind of teacher would you like to become, and what kind of future would you

private school from the standpoint of a managerial position. What struck me waslike to look towards? Please share your dream with us.

that the quality of education is high, and there is a strong tendency towards thepolicy of self-development. I saw that they nurture an environment-friendly attitude

Wishita ： Let me see. I would like to be a good example for younger teachers, forand global citizenship to live in the 21st century. I make use of what I have seen andsure. For example, I would like to be proactively involved in exchanging opinions, andlearned in the form of focusing on English education, computers, sports and art in

if I observe education overseas, I would like to continue sharing and communicating

the management of my school. When I visited Miyagi, I was impressed by theit. Hopefully, that will motivate younger teachers and encourage them to develop thereconstruction through public cooperation and the prevalence of emergency drills

obtained knowledge steadily.

and evacuation behaviour. After I came home, I gathered teachers and students toperform an emergency drill at my school. As Thailand also has ﬁres and ﬂoods, I was(Interview conducted on 11 October 2021)

greatly inﬂuenced from this perspective. The various activities in this programme
really moved me, and I honestly think that I myself have considerably changed since I
found inspiration as a teacher. I would like to become more serious about school# ２：

Mr. Narong SIRIMUANG, Ms. Teerada UDOMSUP,

management and to take measures including the human development of students as

Mr. Busaror POHDING and Ms. Rangsiya KHANTASEEMA

well as teachers, the improvement in facilities and the introduction of technology.

ACCU ： In our programme in 2018, you came to Japan to visit schools in

Mr. Busaror POHDING (Busaror) ： I am not in a managerial position like Mr.

Tokyo and Miyagi, and to interact with Japanese teachers in the exchange

Narong, and I give lessons, so I ﬁrst told my students what I have seen. On the ﬁrst

meeting. Will you please tell me by sharing what you remember of the

day I went to school after I returned to Thailand, I showed my students slides that I

programme and how you have made use of your experience since returning tomade from videos and pictures I had taken in Japan. That wowed the children who

Thailand?

watched them, just like my own reaction. What I have instilled in children since I
returned home is to maintain cleanliness. As I found the streets in Japan to be really

Mr. Narong SIRIMUANG (Narong) ： I was highly stimulated by the visit to aclean, I intently tell children to clean up and to pick up litter even now. Since theprogramme ﬁnished, I have kept intouch with Mr. Tomohiro (Japaneseparticipant of the exchange meeting),
and we often put our heads together
to consider teaching methods. The
COVID-19 pandemic has hindered therealisation of our plans. Nevertheless,our interaction has continued, and weare thinking about utilising Zoom forthe children we teach to exchange
opinions before too long. Anyway, I
was moved by the Japanese projectthat I took part in, and the feeling46

Dispatch Programme to Thailand (FY2019)47

remains inside of me all the time.

people, they told us that they had no choice but to cut trees to sell because they
had no money or work. I have formed the opinion that we should provide theseMs. Teerada UDOMSUP (Teerada) ： It was a great experience for me to go andpeople with vocational support so that they can make a living without cutting trees.

see Japan. What struck me most was the approach by a school for special needs

What I can do as a teacher may be a mere triﬂe, but I have decided to foster

education. I was surprised to see that students had practical training in a company

childrenʼs love of forests ﬁrst. I felt that children could develop a feeling that they

or a factory while still at school. In Thailand, they have no opportunity to have suchshould not cut forest trees while conducting tree-planting activities and taking carepractical training in a workplace while they are still at school. What struck meof trees by themselves. Furthermore, other than tree-planting activities, we provide

secondly was disaster prevention measures. It was impressive that they take disastertraining for children to acquire speciﬁc skills. We have started to teach skills forprevention measures in consideration of nature.

making a living without destroying farmland, such as making tea, coﬀee and bread.

Moreover, a school, which I believe was a middle school, donates the proceeds ofThis project was named the Paeklang model after the name of the school, which

vending machines to UNICEF. As I found this a good social contribution, I would likereceived an award from Nan Province. These activities could be realised because I

to organise some activity where students can be engaged in social contributions atparticipated in the project in Japan to learn about the SDGs and PBL, which turned

my school as well.

my attention to respecting the regional environment.

Ms. Rangsiya KHANTASEEMA (Rangsiya) ： I make use of the Sustainable

ACCU ： It was reassuringly informative because you detailed your current

Development Goals (SDGs) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) for educational

activities. We have another question. Did you develop on your own the processactivities. In my province, the deforestation is an issue. When we talked with thesewhere you found the regional issue of deforestation, conducted an interview
with villagers, and carried out tree-planting activities and educational activities
to teach speciﬁc skills? Or did you start from the beginning together withchildren?
Rangsiya ： At ﬁrst, before starting the activities, I brought up the regional issues
for children. And then, I asked them what they would want to do. In other words, I
discussed and took action with the children as well as other teachers, parents andthe entire school.
ACCU ： Now I would like to ask Mr. Narong this, but your school accepted avisit of Japanese teachers in 2019, didnʼt it?
Narong ： Yes, it did.
ACCU ： You had then Thai teachers living in diﬀerent areas gather to meet
Japanese teachers together. I would like to ask you how you came up with theidea and put it into action.

48

49

Narong ： The reason I came up with the idea is that I was impressed by the qualityof teachers when I visited Japan. They were professional teachers who focused on
students, and I was moved by the level where they could give lessons anywhere in
the world. So, I earnestly wanted Japanese and Thai teachers to interact, and I also
wanted the teachers from other schools who participated in the programme in 2018
to join as well as teachers from my school. I sent an invitation to the supervisors at
each school, so that teachers were allowed to come as an oﬃcial duty. We had agood talk oﬃcially and unoﬃcially. We shared knowledge between Thailand andJapan to understand one another very well. Teachers from schools for the visually

Invitation Programme for Teachers from Thailand (FY2018)

impaired and schools for special needs education also came at that time, which
absolutely motivated everyone. For another chance in the future, it would be
wonderful if you could provide such an occasion of visitation in Thailand and provide
an opportunity to exchange opinions as well. I am convinced that it would be of help
not only for the country but also for world development.
ACCU ： Thank you very much. Did you mean that it motivated everyone whogathered there, including teachers working in your school?
Narong ： Yes, every one of them. The teachers from my school were especially
excited. Because they had to speak English with Japanese teachers at that time, theteachersʼ motivation for learning English increased later. My school even employed aJapanese teacher to give a lesson. And what is more, we are going to send a student
to Japan through AFS (noted by ACCU: an organisation providing overseas study
programmes mainly for high school students). The encounter with Japanese people

young teachers as well as experienced teachers, like Mr. Narong. What wasyour experience with working together in a group of diﬀerent generations?
Rangsiya ： I was the youngest in my group. I was excited when I was selected to
be a participant, but I became extremely worried when I saw who the fellow members
were and found out I was the youngest. I have taught only for a few years, that iswhy. However, once I met them to spend some time together in Japan, I realised thatage does not matter when learning.
Teerada ： Can I add something? In fact, I dare say the participation of diﬀerent
generations made this programme perfect. Since there were both veteran and youngteachers as well as the in-between generation, we had a warm family atmosphere. It
was better than a disproportionate age group.

motivated everyone, and this includes both teachers and students.

(Interview conducted on 12 October 2021, in the morning in Thai time)A C C U ： Yo u h a v e h a d a nenormous inﬂuence. This
programme would ʻTransformteachers, children and schoolsʼ
as its slogan states, and we haveg o t th e im p re s s ion t ha t y ou
embody this exactly.
In this programme, we had
50

# ３：

Mr. Sin PROMMAN

ACCU ： Can you tell us what made you take part in this exchan ge
programme?
Mr. Sin PROMMAN (Sin) ： I saw a notice from the Ministry of Education ofThailand and learned about this project. The region where I work (Chumphon
Province) suﬀered damage from a typhoon 30 years ago. It is located close to the51sea in the south. I work in a new

welcome them back then. Unfortunately, my school was not selected to accept

school there, which accepts children

Japanese teachers in 2019, but if thereʼs an opportunity in the future, we would likewith intellectual disabilities. A

to accept them at a school in the southern part of Thailand.

Japanese instructor once came togive guidance about a Japanese

ACCU ： How do you use your experience in the programme in engaging inhandloom for saori weaving, whichyour educational activities after your participation?

the school introduced. At that time,
I got interested in vocational

Sin ： The experience in Japan also helped me improve myself. I have oﬀered

tr ai ni ng in Japan . I loo k e d in t osuggestions to my supervisors concerning a future educational policy and vision. I

another programme, but it was forbelieve that just reporting my experience is insuﬃcient, and the experience should

managerial staﬀ, so I could not apply. As this programme focused on natural

be applied in a usable form.

disasters and special needs education, I expected that I could ﬁt the proﬁle requiredby Japan. The contents interested me, and so I applied to have interaction with

ACCU ： What kind of educational policy is it? We would appreciate it if you

Japan.

could specify details.

ACCU ： Can you tell us how you liked the actual participation in the programme?

Sin ： It is to enhance vocational training curriculums. Parentsʼ desires are reﬂected

Sin ： As a teacher from a school for special needs education, it was memorable

curriculum to good use for their occupation. If the family of a student is farmers, thethat I exchanged opinions with my counterparts in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture. We

student acquires the skills required for the family business. In addition, I would like toin the policy. I considered how students can put what they have learned in theshared one anotherʼs thoughts on student guidance, vocational training formake the curriculums facilitate for the students to be independent and obtain more

physically disabled students, and the daily lives of students. As time went on, I came

opportunities by education. I aim for a policy where education creates opportunities.

to think that there was more room for the development of Thai students. At theAfter I went and saw Japan, I have designed a curriculum by applying my experienceschool we visited, it was interesting to see them provide education that develops thein Japan. At the school I visited, they oﬀer vocational and practical training on

interests and characteristics of each student. They provide, for instance, vocational

service-sector jobs. As students are not all the same, I worked towards practicaltraining on confectionery making and service-sector jobs. What impressed me mostcontent in accordance with a sustainable goal for each student.

was practical training on nursing-care for the elderly. I remember that they worked
with the aid of iPads. I would like to improve schools in Thailand even if only slightly,
using examples from their safety measures for students at school.
ACCU ： You also came to Kanchanaburi in 2019. You received an invitationfrom Mr. Narong. What were your ﬁrst thoughts when you were invited?
Sin ： I was thrilled when I received the invitation. When I went to Kanchanaburi towelcome Japanese teachers, it was a happy experience. This is because when we
went to Japan people gave us a warm welcome. So, I was very proud of myself to52

Invitation Programme for Teachers from Thailand (FY2018)(Interview conducted on 12 October 2021, in the afternoon in Thai time)53

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Exchange began with a step forward
Learn about and respect one another more

ACCU ： Will you ﬁrst enlighten us by sharing what your motivation or
background was to participate in the programme?
Mr. Siddhartha CHAKRABARTI (Siddhartha) ： I learned about this programmefrom the information from the CEE (noted by ACCU: Centre for Environment
Education, which operates the programme in India), and I was selected to be aparticipant from West Bengal State. Although I could not physically go to Japanowing to the coronavirus pandemic, it was an absolutely lovely opportunity for me. In
light of international exchange, the programme has indeed opened the doors ofTeachers who gave an interview

Mr. Siddhartha CHAKRABARTIHead of Department of Science, Nodal Teacher from Lee
Collins High School
Participated in Invitation Programme for Teachers from India (online) in
FY 2020

Ms. MATSUI Ichiko
Teacher from Tsunan Secondary School in Niigata
Participated in exchange meeting with teachers from India in FY 2020

Background of interview
We talked with Mr. Siddhartha who teaches Physics and Mathematics in West Bengal
in India, and Ms. Matsui, who teaches English in Niigata, Japan. These two teachers
have engaged in online class exchanges since the summer of 2021, when Ms. Matsui
was looking for a partner to realise exchange between students with disaster risk
reduction as a theme and Mr. Siddhartha responded. We understand that more than
200 students participated in ﬁve exchanges by the middle of October 2021, when
we conducted the interview.
As the exchange began after COVID-19 broke out, neither the participating teachers
nor students have seen their counterparts directly. We wonder what kind of ideas
and eﬀorts are hidden behind the success of the exchanges the two teachers lead,
and what kind of vision they have for their future activities.
54

learning. It was the ﬁrst time in my life that I have had such an experience.
And what is more, this programme has broadened my horizons further. I haveconsidered since my participation whether my experience through this exchange
among teachers can be recreated at the student level.
Ms. MATSUI Ichiko (Matsui) ： As an English teacher, I keep looking for overseas
partners for exchange. I try to catch every opportunity for students to interact andcommunicate using English. One day, I learned about this programme (exchange
meeting with Indian teachers) when some students took part in one of the ACCUʼsprogrammes. I had an Indian acquaintance, but it was diﬃcult to realise exchanges
among students. I took part in the programme, hoping that this might lead toexchanges among students.
ACCU ： Mr. Siddhartha, you told us once that you had been interested inJapan through history and sports before the programme. While listening toyou, I was wondering if that also motivated your participation.
Siddhartha ： The exchange with Japanese students was the very ﬁrst experiencein my life. A cross-border project was a ﬁrst for me as well, and when I look back at
it, I am left with a lot to think about, such as the opportunity to introduce Indianculture and my own opinion to Japanese students, and much common grounddespite diﬀerences between us. It was also good to see the reaction of the students.
What makes me pleased most as an educator is to leave something in studentsʼ
minds. I was delighted to experience that through seeing their reaction.
ACCU ： This is a question for Ms. Matsui. When starting the exchange among55

students, you oﬀered us suggestions, including the theme of disaster risk

Siddhartha ： The current theme, disaster risk reduction is a pressing issue all overreduction and speciﬁc activities. Please give us the background to how you

the world. Although some natural disasters in India diﬀer from those which often

decided on the theme.

occur in Japan, the attitudes where students in both countries work on global issues
together are the same, which has enabled this programme to be realised. Students

Matsui ： I already gave project-based lessons for a third of my annual class hours.

on both sides made a lot of eﬀort, and for Indian students, it was an opportunity to

I usually decided on themes, but last ﬁscal year, as the students set out on a disasterbe exposed to Japan. I reckon that we conducted this activity as pioneers in India.

education tour to visit the Tohoku district (noted by ACCU: the district was severely

The factors that contributed to the success are that everyone seriously committed

damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011), they wanted to deepen theirthemselves to pursuing this exchange project, there was strong determination toresearch activity theme. There was a group that researched disaster risk reduction,

carry it out successfully, and there was the will to overcome diverse diﬃculties andand they made a proposal to conduct an activity using a four-frame comic strip.

challenges.

Considering how we could do this in English classes was the beginning. I am not anexpert of disaster risk reduction, although I also participated in the disaster

ACCU ： We understand that, even though quite a few people want to makeeducation, so I took part in an online lecture session of specialists with my students,

exchanges, they hesitate to take the ﬁrst step, or they think they are too busy.

and the specialists who I made a connection with looked through my teaching plan

What kind of support did you get from your school? Or did your own passion

and gave me advice, which allowed the plan to take shape. As I really wanted to do

facilitate the exchange? Did you also ﬁnd diﬃculty?

this, I made use of TREE to look for a partner who I could carry out the activity with(noted by ACCU: Ms. Matsui posted a request for participation on the

Matsui ： I have both support from the school and my own passion. Besides mymembership-based site for programme participants), and then I could meet Mr.

own enthusiasm, the timing was right, when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in

Siddhartha.

the promotion of educational methods using ICT throughout Japan, so thepromotion of online education enhanced the environment, and the school also
encouraged the utilisation of such environment, which I believe became a driving
force.
ACCU ： How about you, Mr. Siddhartha?
Siddhartha ： When I ﬁrst participated in the Exchange Programme for Teachers, I
had no knowledge about Japan, and the Japanese teaches also had little
understanding of the educational system in India. I now have certain knowledge, but
at that time, my knowledge about Japan was limited, and yet I was eager to createsuch an international exchange programme especially for my students. It was
especially for my students. Even if my students were in India, or in another placesuch as Japan, I would remain an educator as well as a teacher, so I thought that I
should pursue such a programme and provide an opportunity, given that, after all,students will take a lead role in building a nation in the future.
Through this programme, I have witnessed Indian and Japanese students ﬁnd a

56

57

common goal and topic and make eﬀorts in their own regions. I was surprised to see

circumstances, you keep up the monthly exchange, and your passion reaches

that there were similar issues in Japan as well, and I believe that each micro activity

us across the sea as well as the students without doubt.

in both regions can make one anotherʼs perspectives and the scope of activities
wider when both of us interact hand in hand. I am conﬁdent that the programme will

Siddhartha ： Thank you indeed.

ultimately make it possible to lead us to global goals and activities as well as regional
ones. Through the programme, we share ideas, and solutions for and opinions about

ACCU ： It has been two months since you started the exchange. What kind ofissues we face every day. The biggest discovery was that so many common issues

reaction have you received from your students and colleague teachers?

are found on a daily basis. Although there is of course a wealth of academic
research out there, I found that there was also a need for such an approach in a

Siddhartha ： What I would like to tell you ﬁrst and foremost is that a lot ofform diﬀerent from them.

teachers and students know about this exchange programme. This is not only in

There were quite a lot of challenges and diﬃculties in carrying out the programme.

West Bengal, but also in other regions. For example, we have some connection in

All things considered, we have overcome these based on the deliberation on to whatsouthern, western and northern India, and the teachers we know all over India areextent we can have an inclusive approach and the intention to work better for theaware that there is such a programme. They show quite a positive reaction and send

students, society and the community. Especially in West Bengal, where I work, public

me inquiries and feedback, which is overwhelming. They also give us theirand private schools have completely diﬀerent infrastructure. The situation may be

impressions of this new idea of an online exchange programme. If we can create

diﬀerent in other states, but there is a huge diﬀerence in our region. In the (public)

such a good chain reaction, I hope we can also achieve the same in regions otherschool which I work for, students cannot aﬀord a smartphone, and quite a few

than West Bengal.

parents have lost their jobs owing to this pandemic. Although there are some online

My students, fellow teachers and parents also acknowledge that this project isclasses in the school, they are limited. Even under such circumstances, we asked

exciting. They are keen to know when and how we will have our next discussion, on

graduates and people who had a device to let us use their smartphones andwhich topic, and what kind of outcome we have had.

computers in order to promote thisprogramme. We carried this out against

Matsui ： As for the reaction of Japanese students, I hear that as the third-form

such a backdrop, which allowed us to

middle school students did not even have any ALT (assistant language teacher) for

continue, even though we also had

the last two years owing to the spread of COVID-19, when their exchanges with

diﬃculty in infrastructure such as theforeigners were limited, they were wildly excited to interact with foreign students forInternet.

the ﬁrst time. Apparently, they would really like to continue. Concerning the students
in the form which I take charge of, I am convinced that their experience ofcommunication has led to their conﬁdence as expected. Seeing studentsʼ eﬀorts to58

ACCU ： From what you have told us

make communication while they intently look at the screen, and their pleased lookso far, we understand that both of you

after a session makes me want to continue without doubt. Teachers send me a great

play a central role in proceeding withdeal of inquiries about how we implement the programme in a class. Many schools

the class, involving not only the

may be engaged in extracurricular activities and school events other than classes. In

schools but also the communities. We

carrying that out in a class, however, most teachers are concerned with syllabus

are convinced that while each of you

problems or the balance with textbooks, and so they often ask me how they should

has diﬀerent diﬃculties in your own

cope.
59

ACCU ： I also have seen how the exchange goes online. I am aware that suchlevel diﬀerent from ours, such as history and human relationships. I am astonishedexperience provides valuable time for students, who are fuelled for morethat I have got so much to learn.

exchange. In the ACCU, we often hear from teachers about the issues of thebalance with curriculums and textbooks, which Ms. Matsui mentioned. If you
have any suggestions, please share them with us.

Siddhartha ： Thank you indeed. I feel ﬂattered. I would like to continue and to
make eﬀorts to continue this exchange. Regardless of whether Indian or Japanese
students, I am willing to have a signiﬁcantly positive eﬀect on them as a teacher, andMatsui ： In my classes, I switched to AI-based instructional materials three years

so taking any exchange as a good opportunity, I would like to maintain myago. Grammatical explanation and quizzes that were given in a class are now given

commitment as long as possible to continue such exchange activities. I am also

by using AI-based instructional materials, and we spend all the time saved for such a

inclined to expand the range of exchanges. I am thinking of enabling other schools

communication activity. I introduce a good tool to students, and in class, I provide

all over the region to participate as well as schools throughout India. People who

feedback where they do not understand in this new system, and instead they enjoy

have learned about this programme give me various reactions and suggestions. On

communicating among students or with me (teacher) in a class. If someone has suchaccount of the pandemic, most schools were closed, which hindered them fromtrouble in other subjects, I suggest starting to look for computers, ICT or AI that canparticipating, but this problem is to be overcome with certainty, so I would like totake over their roles to use as their substitute, which will change the use of time

expand the programme.

signiﬁcantly.
ACCU ： Mr. Siddhartha already said that he would like to expand the
ACCU ： By the way, you have already engaged in exchanges for a few

exchange further. Can you also give us your future vision of the ongoing

months now. Can you tell me what you respect and ﬁnd to be impressive

exchange, please?

about each other?
Matsui ： Other schools have already oﬀered proposals to work together. Since it is
Siddhartha ： The good things about Ms. Matsui are that she certainly provides

diﬃcult to match up the class hours online, we can use an online asynchronous video

sincere and ﬁrm support, and she devotes herself to this programme. That is what I

exchange tool called Flipgrid, which I use with Mr. Siddhartha, to get to know one

ﬁnd impressive about her. In this international exchange programme, Ms. Matsui isvery friendly, and she has helped me in diﬀerent situations through the programme.
When I have technical problems, since I am not too good at computers, she always
provides support on such occasions, which demonstrates her magnetic personality.
Matsui ： Firstly, it was amazing how he gathered students from diﬀerent schools ina wide range of regions despite the circumstances of lockdown. I know that hecoordinates up until the very last minute while being involved in the exchange. I see
that he approaches students right up to the last moment, and that is what I ﬁnd
wonderful about him more than anything. I think that he makes unimaginable eﬀorts.
Secondly, quite a wide age group of teachers participate in the exchange every time.
The fact that both young and elderly teachers attend makes me keenly feel thedepth of education in India. I have taken this opportunity to learn something at a60

61

another ﬁrst. I hope to develop this into online exchanges to continue exchanges

student with such an opportunity, and taking approaches, I expect that it is indeed

without any strain. As I assume that exchanges will not last long if you need to makestrictly required to be sustainable.

a special change to a class, or to make some transformation to make it possible, I

One of the purposes of this programmes is to take on a challenge. Besides, as we allintend to carry it out without overdoing things as much as possible.

live in Asia, I would like nothing better than to take more approaches to respect and

The more exchanges we have, the more we would like to learn, which deepens theknow one another through learning one anotherʼs culture, and further introducing

topics of interest. For example, students and I are thinking of exploring

culture from Asia, letʼs say to Europe, and then to the world.

environmental issues and gender issues deeper, and moreover, as a language

I believe that a teacher must nurture children through respectable eﬀorts, andteacher, I am keen to learn literature and human thought more from Indian people.

sincere and close support and cooperative relationship, to cultivate human resources

Since Japanese literature is also beautiful, it would be fantastic to exchange thesuitable for the foundations for the future.

beauty of literature mutually.
(Interview conducted on 15 October 2021)
Siddhartha ： I agree. Many of the students and I would like to learn Japanesemore. We can also introduce and teach Bengali and Hindi the other way round, and I
would like to suggest such an exchange.
ACCU ： You already have lots of new ideas. We look forward to your future
activities. Now, we would like to hear a ﬁnal message from each of you.
Matsui ： Although I wanted to deepen exchanges in Asia, I was only acquainted
with some teachers, and was not able to advance exchanges among students
because I always have to mind the time diﬀerence when I engage in international
exchange. As ICT is being put into place in Japan now, such exchanges can befeasible as long as there are dedicated teachers like Mr. Siddhartha, even if someregions are under lockdown. Hopefully, for that reason, you will increase
opportunities for teachers to get to know one another through approaches like the
ACCUʼs. The themes which I have always wanted to work on is the SDG 17
ʻPartnership for the goalsʼ (noted by ACCU: Strengthen the means of
implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development),and I would like to realise online activities for children to solve regional issues inpartnership.
Siddhartha ： This exchange among students was realised by Ms. Matsui taking a
step forward. I am grateful for such spirit, and I hope that not only will you continue
but also expand the activity, as well as seeking other means. Covering diverse topics
in the world would facilitate comprehensive activities. In providing every teacher and6263

Interviewerʼ s postscript

In Chapter 2, we talked with 11 teachers who participated in an in-person or
online Exchange Programme for Teachers between 2018 and 2020.
As a result of the pandemic, our international exchange programmes havebeen switched to online. For the past year, when the ways people interact
with one another were limited, we have appreciated the importance of caring
for others and having a good dialogue. Against such a backdrop, we havedecided to directly deliver messages from teachers who conduct diverse
activities in a form of interviews.
From the interviews about exchanges between Japan and China, and between
Japan and Thailand, when interviewees talked about their experience ofin-person exchanges, we received their enthusiasm, where they try to give backto children what they have seen for themselves in a form suited for their2021-2022 Topics ofTeachersʼ International Exchange

classrooms, in each context. Furthermore, from the interviews about
exchanges between Japan and Korea, and between Japan and India, when wetalked with teachers who took part in online exchanges, we saw the strength tooﬀer respect and support mutually even when they could not directly see one
another, and also the possibility of overseas collaboration through learning
deeply about their own region while not being allowed to go out there.
Reading the four interviews leaves us with a feeling that borders between
countries are disappearing by the second. A former participant of the
programme once said, ʻThere is no distinction between countries, speaking of
the viewpoint of teachers engaging with childrenʼ. Clues as to respecting andunderstanding one another while we have received diﬀerent education in
diﬀerent countries and time might be found in the words of the 11 teachers.
Through the interviews, the 11 teachers told us personal stories andthoughts, which cannot ﬁt into a report or a survey. We would like to once
again express our gratitude to the teachers who allowed us to share theirprecious stories in this way.
64

Chapter

2021-2022 Topics of International
Exchange Programme for Teachers
It is now 2022. It has been two years since COVID-19 broke out. We

as UNESCO held the UNESCO World Conference on Education forhave become used to online exchange programmes, and we have

Sustainable Development (ESD) in Berlin, Germany in May, and Japan

witnessed some programmes incorporating new ideas that were notcelebrated its 70th anniversary of association to UNESCO. In Chapter

seen last year.

3, we will introduce diverse topics ranging from global situations to

Taking a look at the global situation, there have been various eventsexchange programmes and individual cases, as ʻ2021-2022 Topicsʼ.

deeply involved with international exchange for school teachers such

Events related to UNESCO and ESD
in 2021 and International Exchange
Programme for School Teachers

UNESCOESD

SDGs

UNESCO Associated
Schools Network

COVID-19
GCED
66

Unique hospitality inonline exchanges

Unique hospitality
Changes, challenges andcourse of evolution

Blended learning

Tips for teachers on
making use of this booklet

Utilisation to in-service
teacher education

67

Events related to UNESCO and ESD in 2021 andKeywords of the 2021-2022 exchange programmeInternational Exchange Programme for School Teachers

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TE
VGC JGPIVTCKPK'PXKTQPOGPVCNGFWECVKQPUNESCO World Conference on Educationfor Sustainable Development

In 2021, the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development
was held in Berlin, Germany, where the Berlin Declaration on Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD) was adopted as its outcome document.
The Declaration focuses on the climate crisis, mass loss of biodiversity, pollution,
pandemic, extreme poverty and inequalities, violent conﬂicts, a nd other

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environmental, social and economic crises, and considers that the urgency of these'ZEJCPIGOGGVKPI

challenges are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, in order toface these challenges, 16 commitments are made with respect to ESD, which is
required to nurture agents of change. These commitments include the incorporationof ESD in education systems at all levels; impacts of cooperation between Ministries

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Japanʼs 70th anniversary of association to UNESCO,

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and its new implementation plan for the ESD for SDGs
Japan marked its 70th anniversary of becoming a member state of UNESCO in

68

2021. Here, we will introduce some matters deeply linked to the programme. To

It is a ʻpeaceful, sustainable society, where cultural diversity is duly respectedʼ thatbegin with, Japan has the worldʼs largest number of member schools (1,120 as of

the ACCU aims for through the International Exchange Programme for School

November 2019) of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network, which is positioned

Teachers. We plan exchange programmes that reﬂect the opinions of teachers fromas the promotion base for ESD in the country. Moreover, a nationwide approach hasvarious countries, based on the major common challenges contained in UNESCOʼsstarted, where the course of study, revised in 2017 and 2018, sets the goal of

Declaration and the national governmentʼs policies to achieve this goal. The

fostering ʻcreators of a sustainable societyʼ.

participantsʼ experiences and answers to questionnaires lead to the next

In May 2021, the Implementati on Plan for Education for Sustainable Development

programme.

(ESD) in Japan (second ESD domestic implementation plan) was established, which

The above tags are some of the words cited as this yearʼs key words. In theincorporates measures to involve diverse stakeholders in the same way as the2021-2022 exchange programmes, the second year of online sessio ns, weabove-mentioned Berlin Declaration.

undertook diverse activities. This booklet provides an introduction to the Programme

The programme aims to enable each participant to become an agent of change andthrough topics and photos, but if you would like to obtain more details, such as aa creator of a sustainable society to realise a sustainable peaceful future together.

report, please do not hesitate to contact the ACCU.
69

Online Exchange Today

Unique hospitality in online exchanges
It is common to receive a certiﬁcate of completion when you participate in a
programme, and in the Invitation Programme for Japanese Teachers by theGovernment of Thailand in September 2021, an attendance certiﬁcate was given to
the avatar of each participant on the screen. After all the participants received their

Online international exchange in its second year
Changes, challenges and course of evolution

certiﬁcate of completion, a group photo of the avatars was also taken. We havewitnessed a new form of hospitality to entertain participants by using avatars,
instead of face-to-face meetings.

In 2020, which was the ﬁrst year of online exchanges due to the pandemic, thefocus was placed on keeping exchanges going as much as anything. The infection
status, and the forms of provision of education such as online and on-site sessions
diﬀer substantially from country to country, and even within a country depending on
the region. In order to prevent further spread of infection, the exchange
programmes were implemented with small-scale content. While positive change wasbrought about, such as an increase in new participants and diversity in categories
and regions as the ﬂexibility of place and time was enhanced, some challenges
existed where it was harder to feel the eﬀect of an exchange compared to on-site
programmes.
In 2021, we started to take on the challenge of pursuing more participatory
programmes and visible accomplishments. We implemented programmes that could
raise the level of involvement of participants such as the development ofcollaborative classes and joint presentations, and added some factors, including
online cultural experiences, where the content of the programme has beensigniﬁcantly changed even though the online exchange for school teachers looks likethe same programme.
Even if we can visit each otherʼs countries again, the exchange programmes would
not be the same as they used to be before the pandemic. The programmes will
provide opportunities for more open exchange and dialogue than ever before,

In the online dialogue programme for Japanese and Korean school teachers, T-shirts
in the colour that represents the team were delivered by international mail, andeverybody wore their T-shirt when joining a group meeting. One of the issues inonline programmes is feeling of experience, and some approaches have been madein a variety of ways to provide a memory of participation in the programme and theteam camaraderie.

without leaving out those who can participate only in online sessions.

70

71

Blended learning implemented ininternational exchange programmes
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may have heard the term ʻblended
learningʼ more often than before. It originally referred to education combining online
and oﬄine learning in a wide sense, which includes the combination of in-person
lectures and watching videos.
In the International Exchange Programme for School Teachers, Japanese and Koreanteachers formed a group to engage in blended learning in the form of collaborativeclasses within the online dialogue programme for Japanese and Korean school
teachers in 2021. Although the issues of online exchange programmes include thefact that the achievements are less visible for both participants and the programme
host, the blended collaborative classes themselves have become achievements forteachers in this programme. Japanese and Korean schools were linked via Zoom,

Utilisation to in-service teacher training

where students learned the common theme through dialogue in a small group and aquiz using an app. It was a blended learning experience where students wereconnected through communication with realism, such as instantly uploading a news
topic popular at the time of the exchange on the online platform and showing ahistorical building crafted from paper in front of the camera.

A booklet, TREE of International Exchange, was issued in February 2021 tointroduce various experiences and utilisation examples of mostly Japanese teachersamong the participants in the International Exchange Programme for School
Teachers. Ms. MATSUOKA Yumiko (who worked at Saitama Prefectural Urawa Nishi
High School at the time), one of those who helped with the booklet, has made use of
it as instructional material for in-service teacher training in the prefecture.
She chose the booklet as her instructional material because it matches the content
of the training to ʻshare the educational practice of the lecturerʼ, and she wished to
introduce the ACCUʼs International Exchange Programme for School Teachers, inwhich she participated, to the teachers who would
receive the training.
Although the training was provided online on
account of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACCU
hopes that the local teachers, to whom Ms.
Matsuoka introduced the programme, will takepart in a future programme.
If you would also like to utilise the booklet in yourworkplace as Ms. Matsuoka has done, we will senda copy subject to availability if you cover shipping
expenses. Please do not hesitate to contact the
ACCU.
*The booklet issued in February 2021 is only
available in Japanese.

7273

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Scenesfrom 2021- 2022
ProgrammeJapan-Korea Exchange

74

Japan-China Exchange75

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Japan-Thailand Exchange

76

Japan-India Exchange

77

The Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO（ACCU）
What is the ACCU?
The ACCU contributes toward the realisation of a peaceful and sustainable society where
diverse culture is respected in accordance with the principles of the United Nations
Educational, Scientiﬁc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

From our two oﬃces in Tokyo and Nara, we promote programmes in the ﬁelds ofeducational cooperation, international educational exchange, and education for protectionof cultural heritage as a member state of UNESCO in the Asia-Paciﬁc region. In April

2021, we marked our 50th anniversary.

C onc lus ion
Thank you for reading this booklet. The ACCU meets and reunites with a great
number of people through our international exchange programmes targeted atteachers. As the organiser of the programmes, we have learned a great deal and felt a
lot ofempathy. It is an agenda
for us, the planner andorganiserof the programmes,
公益財団法人ユネスコ・アジア文化センター（ACCU）
は、多様な文化がto ﬁnd out how to create changing learning opportunities and to recognise changes in

尊重される平和で持続可能な社会の実現をミッションとして、教育と文化

teachers and how to share those with other teachers. During the interviews, theの分野において地域協力
・交流活動を推進しています。その活動の一つとtransformationof teachers, which
neither survey analysis nor ﬁgures can discern, has
beenhighlighted through carefully
putting
together
the feelings of the teachers
して、2001年より日本と韓国
・中国
・タイ・インドとの間でそれぞれ二国
included in all of their remarks. Individual interviews were connected like a jigsaw

間の教職員国際交流事業を行ってきました。2022年 2月現在は文部科学省

puzzle as if a beautiful picture had been supposed to be created from the beginning.

委託「新時代の教育のための国際協働プログラム」として実施しているプロ

Young teachers told us that although they had had few opportunities to say what was

グラムの 20年にわたる教成果と参加者の声を現場の方々の手に届きやすいon their mind or to listen to othersʼ ideas, the exchange has given them mental

形でまとめるため、本書 “TREE of International Exchange” 教職員国際

preparation and courage as a teacher. As if responding to what the young teachers

交流●●●を日本語・英語の2言語で制作することとなりました。
mentioned,
teachers witha long teachingcareer said in other interviews that age did
not matter when learning and that there were both old and young teachers as well as

ACCU and International Exchange Programmes for School Teachers
The ACCU has planned, implemented and operated International Exchange Programmes for
School Teachers for about 20 years, since FY2000, on consignment from internationalorganisations and government agencies. In FY2021, under the ʻInternational Collaboration
Programme for Education in New Era FY2021ʼ entrusted by the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT), we carried out exchange
programmes for teachers between Japan and South Korea, China, Thailand and India.

the in-between generation, so it was easy to talk about anything. We have reconﬁrmed

本書のタイトルに入っている “TREE”は、プログラム関係者のためのウ

the signiﬁcance of continuing these programmes after hearing what they had to say.

ェブサイト “Asia-Paciﬁc Educatorsʼ Platform: TREE”に由来します。教Another teacher said that although he had worked hard alone, he has learned that it is

職員国際交流プログラムは Transformative learning（変容する学び）、

essential to involve other teachers in order to lead to sustainable learning, which we

Respect
for diversity（多様性への理解と寛容性）、Exploration、
believeindicates
the necessityof autonomous and sustained
capacities（探究）of teachers,

including
sympathy,communication,
Exchanges（交流）の場です。 and cooperation, as well as individual knowledge
and experience.

本書は国際交流の「場」の紹介（第 1章）、先生方の声を聴くインタビュー（第Otherremarks
include that from a teacher wishing（第to continue
to provide learning that2章）
、2021年度の教職員国際交流トピックス3章）で構成されています。
makes children love the town they live in, believing if you love your own town, you can

お読みいただいた方に、プログラムに参加したことのある方も、ない方も、

be fond of the place where you are, whichever region or country you go to. This is a

国際交流の場そのものや、そこに集まってきた先生方の声を感じて、「自分
distinctive
comment from the teacher who practises thinking globally, acting locally.
も参加してみたい」と思っていただけたなら幸いです。

The core value of the ACCUʼs international educational exchange programmes is thecreation of learning opportunities for teachers across national and regionalboundaries.
We continue to create diverse opportunities while listening to the opinions
最後に、本書の制作にあたり多くの方にご協力いただきました。この場
of teachers. In a modern society with frequent unpredictable events, we need toを借りて深く御礼申し上げます。

become connected to one another and put our heads together to create the future.
Diversity gives us the energy to live. Open the door to international exchange and a lot

https://www.accu.or.jp/
https://www.facebook.com/accu.or.jp/
Subscription of e-mail newsletters (monthly delivery): Contact the publicity oﬃcial of
the ACCU (kouhou@accu.or.jp) to let us know that you would like to subscribe our
e-mail newsletters.
78

of friends will be there for you. Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude

公益財団法人ユネスコ・アジア文化センター（ACCU）

to the teachers who shared their abundant experiences generously.

国際教育交流部

SHINDO Yumi, Director, International Educational Exchange Department,
Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO

79

TREE of International Exchange- Invitation to Teachersʼ International Exchange -1st March 2022
Edited and Published by the Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
1-32-7F Publishers Club Bldg. Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0051 JAPANTEL : +81-3-5577-2853

FAX : +81-3-5577-2854

URL : https://www.accu.or.jp/en/
Cooperation (Chapter 2 and 3)
Mr. TANI Atsuhiko, Mr. KOH Young Nam, Ms. AKAMATSU Junko, Ms. Wishita KESARAKSHA,
Mr. Narong SIRIMUANG, Ms. Teerada UDOMSUP, Mr. Busaror POHDING,
Ms. Rangsiya KHANTASEEMA, Mr. Sin PROMMAN, Mr. Siddhartha CHAKRABARTI,
Ms. MATSUI Ichiko, Ms. MATSUOKA YumikoInterpretation (Chapter 2 )： ISS, Inc.
Translation: Media Research Ltd.
Illustration ( Chapter 1) : text Inc.
Design and Print : Design Moi,Co.,Ltd©Asia-Paciﬁc Cultural Centre for UNESCO 2022

ISBN978-4-909607-10-2
Printed in JapanAll rights reserved.

“2021-2022 International Coordination Programme for Education in a New Age” entrusted
by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT)