Do Japanese Schools Have Janitors? Get the Facts!
No, they do not. The janitor’s position is not included in the contract system for teachers in Japan.
Therefore, all school staff is expected to perform janitorial duties as needed or requested by the principal. This makes sense when you consider that most Japanese schools only have one classroom per grade level and very little indoor space to maintain.
Most schools do not hire janitors or cleaners; principals often handle their cleaning and other duties. Many schools require teachers (and sometimes students) to clean as well. Due to the lack of janitors, Japanese schools take great care to prevent trash buildup and encourage recycling to reduce the work required to clean up the school.
Many schools organize periodic cleaning days to clean all classrooms, hallways, and restrooms in one day.
How is cleanliness maintained in Japanese schools?
Japanese schools often have detailed cleaning schedules posted in each classroom.
Schools usually clean the classrooms, but they routinely ask teachers and students to help with cleaning tasks such as vacuuming, wiping desks, or erasing boards.
Students are often asked to clean their classrooms.
Here is an example of how cleaning tasks are distributed in one elementary school.
The principal is expected to be the head of the staff, but he also has janitorial duties of his own.
He’s responsible for sorting trash, cleaning bathrooms, and scrubbing floors daily. He also has a teaching position, so he usually shows up earlier than the other teachers.
This system has a downside: because principals take care of their cleaning, they often overlook problems that management should address.
In addition, since principals have so many jobs and responsibilities, it’s not uncommon for them to become burnt out.
Is This system Unique to Japan?
No, the only difference is that schools in Japan do not employ janitors.
Although there’s no uniform trend worldwide, it is common for schools in other countries to hire janitors or cleaners rather than expect teachers and principals to do all of the cleaning themselves.
However, some schools in Japan do have janitors.
For example, larger high schools are likelier to have full-time janitorial staff, while smaller elementary or junior high schools employ part-time cleaners who visit on certain days.
This is usually the case for schools with students of various ages under one roof.
But it’s important to remember that Japanese schools are usually open from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm, significantly longer than most schools in America.
This means that janitors have much more work to do at the end of the day and have less time to go around cleaning rooms.
Why do students in Japan clean their schools?
I have been asked this question by foreigners many times. The answer might surprise some as it seems that students here do not like cleaning.
However, the reason is quite simple. They want to keep their school clean and take pride in it as a community!
Japanese students clean floors, dust off desks, and wash bathrooms every day after school. The whole cleaning process takes about 15 minutes.
Students take turns to attend the cleaning work and enjoy it as a community event!
It is essential to keep their school clean, helps them get along with each other, make them feel proud of being part of the school, and prepare them for the future!
Some foreign students say they’d like to do the same when returning home after their Japanese school experience. They feel it is an excellent way to keep your school clean and safe!
Students in Japan always clean their school because keeping it clean helps people live together in peace and harmony!
Why Should Students Clean Their School?
In many ways, students should enjoy keeping their school clean. In addition to helping teachers and making the school a nice place to study, cleaning gives students a chance to get along with each other!
They can also learn about being environmentally friendly while saving money for schools with janitorial staff. Considering what’s at stake, nothing is better than letting students take pride in their school!
What are some advantages of not having janitors in school?
It could save schools money since they wouldn’t have to spend on hiring janitors. Many schools would benefit from the free labor of students and teachers!
Allowing students to take pride in their school makes them want to help out more.
They enjoy keeping their school clean, which helps develop character skills like teamwork and leadership!
In addition, it could generate a sense of responsibility. If students are responsible enough to keep their school clean, they should take on other responsibilities!
Yet another advantage would be that students learn eco-friendly habits early on by caring for their school through everyday cleaning.
They also learn to conserve resources, save money, and improve living conditions!
What are the disadvantages of not having janitors in school?
There aren’t many disadvantages to this, considering how well students and teachers can do.
But if we go with a worst-case scenario, safety issues, and hygiene problems could be at risk for students and teachers.
In addition, it’s important to remember that students and teachers won’t be able to do heavy-duty cleanings like thorough carpet vacuuming or cleaning bathrooms.
This is where having a janitor comes in!
There might be some cases where schools have poor facilities. In this case, students may not be motivated enough to work hard at keeping their school clean.
This is where an outside source will come in and help motivate students to ensure they finish the job!
