省エネ大賞受賞技術開発の軌跡 (41) Trajectory of Energy Conservation Grand Prize-winning Technology Development (41)
第2章 誰でもできる発見や発明
Chapter 2 Discoveries and Inventions That Anyone Can Make
２．１ 細かな観察
2.1.1.3 小中高生時の実験、実体験の価値と必要性
地元尾道の隣町の福山では地元の社長さんたちの発案で、中学生のための電子工作教室が開かれています。広島では小学生を対象とした「わたしたちのお店経営」という体験プログラムが経済産業局主催で行われています。メールマガジンとしてその様子が配信されてきました。以下の通りご紹介します。当時の西出徹雄中国経済産業局長の執筆です。
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METI CHUGOKU TIMES<2002.12.24 No.124> 中国経済産業局メールマガジン
「子供たちの心に灯をともす」【NO.49】
「わたしたちのお店経営」と題して、当局の主催で小学生を対象とした第１回目の起業家体験塾が広島で、先週、先々週の週末に開かれました。
この企画は３日間のスケジュールで、小学生に会社を作り、品物を作って売ることを実際に体験してもらうベンチャー教育です。まず、最初の土曜日に仕事をするとはどういうことか、勉強とどう違うのか、商品を作る、会社を経営するとはどういうことかの説明から始まり、５人ずつのグループに分かれて、会社を作り役割分担をし、それぞれの事業計画を作り、銀行から借り入れをするところまで。次の土曜日に事業計画にしたがって、材料を仕入れ、実際に作り、翌２２日の日曜日に町に出て、実際に販売し、最後は決算報告書を作るところまでを行いました。
今回の企画は起業家体験塾運営会社ルネサンスの山本紀道塾長によるもので、各グループにはコンサルタント役の方が付いて指導に当たります。整理と整頓はどう違うかなど、子供より大人が一々納得するような説明で、小学生だけでなく、中学、高校、大学、社会人に実施すれば、それなりに意味のある企画であるようにも感じました。何よりもまず説明を聞く時の子供たちの生き生きした表情、指導されると即座に動く動作が機敏で見ていて気持ち良く、印象的でした。出来上がった商品は本通りの広島ガスＬＩＰの前で販売されて見事即日完売し、利益も出たようです。是非学校の先生方にこの様子を実際に見てほしいものですが、新年１月１９，２５，２６日に、もう１回予定しています。
１２月２１，２２日の週末、福山では備後半導体技術推進連合会（ＢＩＳＴＥＣ）とポリテクカレッジ福山（福山職業能力開発短期大学校）の主催で中学生を対象とした「楽しい電子工作教室」が開かれました。
ポリテクカレッジの教室を会場に、中学生２０人がそれぞれに７石トランジスタラジオを組み立てるものです。ポリテクカレッジの先生が説明と指導を担当しますが、先生方に混じって、今回の呼びかけ人であるローツェの崎谷社長、アドテックの藤井社長は子供たちがハンダ付けしながら回路を組み立てていくのを熱心に指導しておられました。お二人は半導体製造用のロボット搬送機とプラズマ電源の分野ではそれぞれ世界のトップを走っておられますが、小さい頃にラジオの工作などを通じてこの分野に興味を引かれたご自身の経験から、自らの時間とお金を提供してこうした企画を実践されたものです。中学生たちも苦労して作ったラジオから音が出れば、なぜなのかラジオの原理も知りたくなるでしょうから、２日目はその理屈の説明に充てられています。
普段の学校教育の場では消えつつある技術工作を実際にやってみることを通して、その楽しさを実感してもらおうという目的で始められたものですが、今回の電子工作教室は初めての試みで、２０人募集のところへそれを大幅に上回る応募があったそうです。それだけ関心も高く、ラジオ作りを自分でやりたいと思う中学生が沢山いるということでしょう。今回はほとんどが地元の中学生でしたが、ほかの地域でも崎谷さんや藤井さんと同じような志をもった方々がこうした場を作っていただければ、まだまだ沢山の中学生がもの作りの楽しさを感じてくれるのではないでしょうか。
企業も産業も地域も、発展の基盤が最後は「人」に行き着くとすれば、若い人たちの心に熱い思いの灯をともさないことには何も始まりません。
教育の責任は家庭か学校かと論争するより、目の前にいる子供たちの目の色が変わることをみんなで始めることが先ではないでしょうか。
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私もかつて上述のケーブルテレビ番組制作の前に３年間ほど担当した地元ＦＭ放送局のパーソナリティーをしていた時に工業技術センターと家庭を結んで身近な科学実験体験を企画して子供たちが喜んでいたのを記憶しています。１００の提言より１つの実行が大切なのかもしれません。
しかし、すべてを与える、準備しては参加者の独創性や創意工夫の芽が出にくくなるかもしれません。予算的にそして物質的に少し足りないさじ加減が必要です。
続く
2.1.1.3 Value and necessity of experimentation and hands-on experience during elementary, middle, and high school students
In Fukuyama, a town next to my hometown of Onomichi, an electronics workshop for junior high school students is being held at the initiative of local company presidents. In Hiroshima, a hands-on program called "Our Shop Management" for elementary school students is sponsored by the Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry. How it was has been distributed as an e-mail magazine as introduced as follows. It was written by Mr. Tetsuo Nishide, Director General of the Chugoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry at that time.
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Lighting a Light in Children's Hearts" [NO.49
The first "Entrepreneurial Experience School" for elementary school students, titled "Our Shop Management," was held in Hiroshima last week-end and the weekend before last under the auspices of the Chugoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.
This project is a venture education program that gives elementary school students hands-on experience in creating a company and making and selling goods over a three-day schedule. First, on the first Saturday, we started with an explanation of what it means to work, how it differs from studying, and what it means to create products and run a company. Then, in groups of five, the students formed a company, divided their roles, created their own business plans, and borrowed money from the bank. On the following Saturday, according to the business plan, they purchased materials, actually made the products, went to town on the following Sunday, the 22nd, and actually sold the products, and finally made a financial report.
This project was organized by Mr. Norimichi Yamamoto, president of Renaissance, an entrepreneur experience school management company, and each group was assigned a consultant to guide them. The explanation was more convincing to adults than to children, such as the difference between "tidying up" and "putting things in order," and I felt that this project would be meaningful not only for elementary school students, but also for junior high school, high school, university, and adults. The children's lively expressions as they listened to the explanations and their immediate movements when instructed were impressive and pleasant to watch. The finished products were sold out on the same day in front of the Hiroshima Gas LIP on the main street, and a profit was made. We would love for school teachers to see this in person, and we are planning to hold another one on January 19, 25, and 26 of the new year.
On the weekend of December 21 and 22, a "Fun Electronics Workshop" for junior high school students was held in Fukuyama under the sponsorship of the Bingo Institute for Semiconductor Technology Promotion (BISTEC) and Polytechnic College Fukuyama (Fukuyama Vocational Skills Development College).
In a classroom at the Polytechnic College, 20 junior high school students each assembled a 7-jewel transistor radio. The teachers from the Polytechnic College were in charge of explanation and instruction, but along with the teachers, Rolce President Sakitani and Adtec President Fujii, who were the organizers of the event, enthusiastically guided the children as they soldered and assembled the circuits. Both of them are world leaders in the fields of robot transport machines for semiconductor manufacturing and plasma power supplies, respectively, and they donated their own time and money to this project based on their own experience of being attracted to these fields through radio making when they were children. The second day was devoted to explaining the theory of radios, since junior high school students will want to know the principle of radios once they hear the sound from the radios they have worked so hard to make.
The purpose of this workshop is to let students experience the fun of technology through hands-on experience, which has been disappearing from the usual school curriculum. This was the first time for the class to be held, and the number of applicants far exceeded the number of 20. This time, most of the students were local junior high school students, but if people with the same aspirations as Mr. Sakitani and Mr. Fujii could create such opportunities in other areas, many more junior high school students would experience the joy of making things.
If the foundation for the development of a company, industry, or region ultimately comes down to "people," then nothing can begin without lighting a torch of passion in the hearts of young people.
Rather than arguing about whether the responsibility for education lies with the family or the school, I believe that we should all begin the things that can change the color of the eyes of the children in front of us.
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I also remember that when I was a personality for a local FM station for about three years before I started the cable TV program production I mentioned above, the Industrial Technology Center organized familiar science experiments between them and homes, and the children were very happy with the experiments. One implementation may be more important than 100 recommendations.
However, if we give and prepare everything, it may be difficult for the participants to develop their originality and ingenuity. A little restraint in budgetary and material is needed.
To be continued
Cover of the September issue of METI CHUGOKU, the public relations magazine of the Chugoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry
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