Peer Support in Koga City
Fumiko Kamiya
Sowa Kita Junior High School, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
This is a report from Sowa Kita Junior High school in Koga-city (Ibaraki-prefecture in
Japan). This school has about 390 students (7thgrade-9thgrade). Koga-city is a
garden city north for one hour from Tokyo by train. Most of the students are
unsophisticated and gentle. However, we can find 3 challenges in this school as
follows. These are as follows.
School challenges!
☞Absenteeism because of difficulties in peer relationships
☞There are small daily disputes leading up to serious bullying
☞Most of the students are considerate to others
but they could be more actively pro-social.
Under the circumstances, the campaign in Ibaraki-pref. “Shall we tackle over peer
counseling in schools!” triggered our activity. So peer support has started in this
school since 2001.
Aims of the activity
☺prevent truancy and bullying!
☺facilitate good peer relationships!
☺train peer supporters to act on behalf of their peers!
The innovation 2001~2002
The main activity was to heighten awareness about peer support. The school
invited some guest counselors to run lectures and workshops for students and
teachers.
The beginning of activity 2003~2005
School recruited candidates to apply to be peer supporters from 8th grade
students. They took part in a series of training workshops before becoming peer
supporters. In the school all the students who continue this training can gain a
certificate in peer support. 8th grade peers attend peer support meetings or small
group workshops once a month. They make their own plans on what they can do
before going into 9th grade. And all 9th grade peers act according to their plans.
Some of their activities are described in Table 1.
Their activity (table 1)
♡Make school newspaper for students (about school events, useful information for students etc.).
♡Make posters (information about school for new students).
♡Say hello to lonely students in the school campus (buddying).
♡consulting with friends about their daily school life.
♡Supporters visit younger classes at school lunch time (lunch time communication).
How about school life?
What can we do?
Peer supporters’ meeting
Lunch time communication♪
Which club do you belong?
Foods and sports are･･･
In these activities, “lunch time communication” is the most popular activity for
students. It’s good chance for younger students to make contact with senior
students. And it’s also a valuable chance for peer supporters themselves to get
feedback about their activity from junior students. Besides, the activity gives
supporters opportunities to develop their communication skills.
Juniors’ impression of peer supporters
☆ I enjoyed “lunch time communication” with seniors(peer supporters). They are
kind to talk with me. I’d like to greet and to talk with other seniors from now on.
☆ I talked with supporters about friends, club activity and teachers etc at lunchtime.
They gave me very useful advice about how to take part in school life. I’d like to
be a peer supporter like them. I enjoyed it very much.
☆ I was at a loss and nervous before meeting seniors at first. But I enjoyed talking
with them. I want them to stay longer and talk with them more.
Peer supporters’ impression of their activity
☆ I didn’t know what to talk about with juniors at first, but gradually I could open
my heart to them. I realized that it’s difficult to communicate with peers I first
talk to.
☆ I realized that I could talk from the start if I could find common topics such as
hobbies.
☆ I realized the important way to communicate with people were eye contact, and
sincerity. I’d like to use these skills in all aspects of my daily life.
Messages from Former peer supporters
☺I joined this activity for no particular reason, but I
learned many things through peer support. I learned
how to communicate with others. I’m happy to hear
that my juniors are continuing peer activities.
☺I can communicate with new friends and juniors
in my high school life. It’s very important for me to
listen to and talk with them.
Graduated peer supporters gathered August 11, 2006
I have realized I acquired these abilities
to make video letter for their junior peer supporters
through the experiences of peer activities.
I hope my juniors make use of these chances in junior high.
☺I was a shy girl before junior high, so I joined this activity to change myself. I made
friends through the activities and got confidence. Now I have many friends.
☺I found that communication was not only verbal but also non-verbal. I came to
understand more about friends’ hearts from their expressions and attitudes. It’s
very useful in communication. I enjoyed peer support.
This school approach spreads to all 9 junior high schools in Koga-city this year.
The Koga education board has held teachers’ meetings about peer support from this
spring. And it held a workshop about peer support for about 70 representatives
from each school (50 students and 20 teachers) on 11th of August 2006. And they’re
going to do their peer support in each school. Our motto is “Start to do what I can do
in our daily school life for peers!”
I am indebted to Mr Takayuki Totigi, Koga Education Board for permission to disseminate the work of
peer supporters in Koga.