Japan News Station Eyes East Hanover Schools

From all the way across the globe, Japan sought out East Hanover as an example for how schools should tackle the issue of bullying.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the country's NHK Broadcasting News will film at the three schools in the East Hanover School District, focusing on the different initatives the schools have taken to promote good character education, a positive school climate and anti-bullying efforts.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca said the schools have been working the past few years to foster a positve school climate to combat the issue of bullying.

"They're going to be looking at the ways we're attempting to leverage different support and working together with the school community and the greater community to achieve that goal," Ricca said.

While the issue of bullying and suicide in the United States has been a hot topic in the media the past few years, Japan is also tackling the pressures that growing adolescents are facing, and began a new anti-bullying move on Sept. 10 similar to the United States' "It Gets Better Project," The Wall Street Journal reported last week.

Ricca said the Japanese news team seemed to be most interested with the district's anti-bullying specialists and the initiaves the schools have taken, and want to learn from them.

One of the things that drew NHK to East Hanover, Ricca said, was the district's crime stoppers program.

East Hanover brought the anti-crime organization technology to the school last year. This allows the community to report anonymous tips of suspected harassment, intimidation and bullying incidents.

The reports are completely anonymous and get sent directly to Ricca and the anti-bullying coordinator. The system is treated like 911, and should only be used in an emergency situation, Ricca said.

Last year, there were two incidents reported through the system. There were about 45 other bullying incidents reported through other ways last year, nine of which were identified to be HIB—an anti-bullying law enacted in the state last year.

Ricca said the schools haven't seen any bullying incidents so far in the first three weeks of school.

"Just like every year we're being vigilant and we're going to continue to do the work that we've been doing and hopefully as we go forward we'll see less incidents," he said.

The character education program is another effort the news team will film, where teachers incorporate lessons related to honesty, respect and other positive character traits in their classes.

While Japan's news team spends a few days talking to the teachers, faculty and students and watching the efforts the East Hanover district has been doing to make class more enjoyable, they will hopefully learn from it and bring some programs to their own schools.

"What's great in East Hanover and what our board has really been working hard to do with the educational community and the greater community is really not make our anti-bullying programs a stand-alone thing, but making sure that it's a focus on our culture that helps drive the HIB goal," Ricca said.

"So that it's not just bullying that we're trying to deal with, but all types of behaviors that could make schooling an unpleasant experience for students or teachers."