It is a great honor to be appointed by the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown as a member of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. The importance and responsibility of this role are great, and I am inspired to make a lasting contribution.
Since I changed my career focus from journalism to politics some 25 years ago, I have served as Minister of the Environment and Minster of Defense in Japan. These were important roles in government, and the responsibilities were grave. However, I believe that the greatest responsibility of politics is to improve the availability and quality of education globally for the sake of our next generation and for the future of society.
Five years ago on March 11, 2011, the eastern coastline of Japan was ravaged by a devastating earthquake and tsunami. A nuclear tragedy at Fukushima ensued, only to further exacerbate the crisis. Yet, not all was lost. People showed enormous humanity and awakened our spirit of hope. Support for those affected by the disaster was offered from every corner of the world. I would like to take this opportunity to express our immense gratitude for the heartfelt assistance provided to Japan at this terrible time.
Many journalists from around the world visited the areas affected by the disaster to cover it. What surprised them most was not the severity of the disaster – that was bad enough. It was that there was virtually no looting of the deserted homes and stores amid the confusion of the disaster. This was in contrast to past situations, where confusion and conflict resulted in looting and chaos.
When visiting an elementary school being used as an evacuation center, one Vietnamese journalist was taken aback by a small boy. The journalist gave the boy a banana, and instead of eating it the boy placed the banana in a box installed at the facility. It was a box for collecting clothing and food sent in support from around Japan to be divided equally among those most in need. The journalist recounted the story in an article, which caused a stir among readers. As a result, even more donations were offered by readers of the journalist’s newspaper. Among the donations from Vietnam, a total of $50,000 was given in honor of the “banana boy.”
There is a lesson here. Education can make a difference, even amidst chaos and strife. And amidst the brutal incidents and conflicts that occur throughout the world today, the importance of school and home education is rightly being re-addressed. While it is important to provide education to develop the elite through excellent higher education, it is essential to provide basic education to raise the knowledge and quality of each individual. Education can help build the moral fiber that contributes to humanity.
Recently, many missions from Arab countries have visited Japan to learn about our education system. They are interested not only in our educational curriculum, but also in the activities organized after school. In Japan, every student cleans their classrooms and the hallways when class ends. Students sweep the floors, wipe the desks with cloths, and tidily arrange the chairs and desks. These are scenes rarely witnessed in many countries. Also, Japanese schools all come together for an autumn sports festival. The students compete in a variety of sports competitions and fun events, not only to pit themselves against each other physically, but also as a measure of the teamwork of each class or community. Through such activities, students gain a sense of camaraderie with their fellow students and learn discipline as a group. The number of Arab countries introducing such activities is rapidly increasing. Elementary education also plays an enormous role in learning traffic rules such as obeying red lights and social norms such as not being late for school.
However, at a time of real crisis in many parts of the world, and with near record numbers of refugees, there are countless regions where children are unable to go to school or lead stable family lives. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 59.5 million people were forced to become refugees, either domestic refugees or asylum applicants, as of the end of 2014. This is the highest number since the end of World War II. In particular, the situation in the Middle East since the so-called “Arab Spring” has worsened, and children in particular suffer the most. When peoples’ lives are at risk, education is all too often relegated to the back burner of priorities.
I am one of the few Japanese members of parliament who understands Arabic, as I spent my student days at Cairo University. So I am delighted that in addition to aid provided by the Japanese government, members of parliament have established a Parliamentary League to support Syrian refugees. After observing the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan and Kilis Camp in Turkey, we established “Sakura Elementary School” in Hatay Province on the Turkish side of the Syrian border. It is not difficult to establish medical and educational facilities within a camp, but most refugees who live outside the camps have very little access to education.
It is obvious that refugee children growing up without an education will be a lost generation. Their only options are to continue living as refugees or to be recruited by extremists.
Sakura Elementary School’s name is derived from the Japanese word for cherry blossom. It currently has 322 students learning in Arabic in nine classes. The 20 teachers are also refugees with teaching experience. With the approval of the Turkish government, children are provided with education while adults are provided with jobs. The costs and expenses for the school are all covered by crowdfunding. It is a very small initiative, but it helps provide a broader understanding of the conditions refugees face, as well as the psychological condition of the children, and these realities can be reflected in the Government’s refugee policy. International cooperation is required to prevent refugee crises, and as a Commissioner I would like to produce results that provide children with a place to learn and take into account the current conditions under which many sadly find themselves.
We should never forget that education is required not only by children, but also adults. I believe that improving lifelong education will, in turn, improve the quality of communities and countries.
Yuriko Koike is a Member of the House of Representatives in Japan and formerly served as the Japanese Minister of Defense.