To address issues such as children struggling to adapt to elementary school life (known as the “first-grade problem”), a “pre-class system” has been introduced this year in all municipal elementary schools. April serves as a provisional class period, during which teachers observe children’s characteristics and interactions for about a month before forming the final class groups. What are the benefits and challenges of this system?
Municipal Shirakane Elementary School independently implemented its own pre-class system in 2021, ahead of the district-wide initiative.
In early July, we visited Class 1-1, where the final class groups had been in place for about two months.
During a life skills lesson, children were recording observations of morning glories they had grown themselves. They colored traced flowers with pencils and wrote down their thoughts after seeing and touching them. The classroom had a calm atmosphere.
One female student, who had been in the “Red Group” during the pre-class period, said, “I was sad to be separated from friends I made in the Red Group, but now I enjoy talking with new friends.”
The school has 103 first-graders. Based on information from kindergartens, daycare centers, and pre-enrollment health checkups, four pre-class groups were formed. Starting the week after enrollment, homeroom teachers rotated every two days, and about 10 staff members—including assistant teachers, music, and art instructors—observed the children.
Key focus areas included learning behaviors and…
