Maintenance and cleaning persons are not employed by most of the schools in Japan, unlike American culture.
However, the students are assigned the task of cleaning.
This cleaning is known as O-SOJI, other people or the ones who live outside Japan may not have an idea about this type of cleaning. However, they are given the wrong details about it. Such as Japanese schools do not hire cleaning staff and students deal with all the cleaning stuff which is a false interpretation.
The staff who perform the task of cleaning is known as Yomushuji apart from cleaning, they are assigned with many chores to perform. Which include maintenance to cleaning and even guarding after school timing. The schools have hired this staff to clean the school after the children are done with O-SOJI.
In traditional Japanese schools, students start the process of cleaning which is known as O-SOJI right after lunch. This process of cleaning lasts for twenty minutes. Students are given exemption from this work on Wednesday, Saturday and in semester holidays. They are even entertained with music known as O-SOJI song.
The cleaning of classrooms is done by the concerned students of that class. Small groups of students perform the task of cleaning which is known as Han. The han cleans only the library and the office nurse along with their class.
For the hitorikko kids (single children) and for the purpose of interaction the children of upper grades help the smaller ones. The older ones are made as role models for the younger ones. This activity is designed so that the younger ones respect their elders and cooperate with them and the ones who are single kids they do not feel alone.
Another activity named Chiki seiso is planned which is about cleaning the surrounding. Kida is provided short cleaning gadgets so that they can clean the neighborhood of their school.
Most of the schools do not lay stress on chiki siso now a day in Japan. In some schools, washroom cleaning is done by the cleaning staff while at others the elder students perform this duty.
According to Japanese teachers and parents, it is useful for the students as they do not throw rubbish here and there if they have to clean themselves. However, people who reside outside Japan will never understand this concept.
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