Japanese students from tsunami zone enjoy chance to visit Rockhampton region
Published on 28 February, 2012
Early last year, Tomonori Ichinose was feeling sorry for Queenslanders caught up in summer floods, little knowing that his own country of Japan was about to experience something much worse with a triple whammy earthquake, tsunami and radiation emergency. Tens of thousands were killed and many more left homeless.
Professor Ichinose's Miyagi University of Education was directly affected by earthquake and wave damage on March 11, and it's only 90km from the Fukushima area hit hardest by the ongoing nuclear power plant disaster.
As many as 60 Miyagi students lost either their home or parents or both. Many university buildings were damaged and one close to the seaside was destroyed. Aftershocks have been continuing, even as reconstruction efforts get underway.
Now a group of Miyagi students has been visiting for a study tour at the English Language Centre on CQUniversity Rockhampton Campus.
The latest Miyagi tour to Rockhampton has been assisted through the Prime Minister's Education Assistance Program for Japan. LINK HERE for Prime Minister Julia Gillard's remarks to the Australia-Japan Goodwill Dinner in Tokyo on April 22 last year.
Professor Ichinose says that five of the eight visiting students have directly suffered, with their families experiencing damage to their home or loss of their business.
The Japanese students have received Australian government support for their latest tour, to encourage them to relate their experiences to Queenslanders.
"Our students and teachers survived but many lost their family and home," Professor Ichinose says.
"Teachers and schools in the damaged areas are still suffering from fatigue, emotional stress or psychological trauma, lack of equipment and problems with holding lessons in borrowed facilities, let alone the collapse of regional communities and family circumstances."
The visiting professor says it's good for the Miyagi students to have a break from their difficulties back home in Japan and to have the chance to experience a different environment in the Rockhampton region.
Damage to one of the Miyagi University of Education Buildings
He says Japanese universities including Miyagi are doing their best to work as a network and to mobilise volunteers to achieve normalisation of education services.
"We will not leave the reality of students' difficulties and problems as they are. Instead, we will continue to provide support," Professor Ichinose says.
"We will train teachers who have a disaster prevention mind. We will establish the disaster prevention program as part of the curriculum for training teachers, and when there is a crisis, we prepare graduates to respond quickly and aim to train teachers who can be entrusted to safeguard students."
Professor Ichinose says CQUniversity and Miyagi University of Education have maintained a friendship since 1997.
CQUniversity English Language Centre Director of Studies Tim Somerset says Miyagi students have been visiting the Language Centre in Rockhampton for 10 years.
"In addition, Miyagi currently has exchange students studying at CQUniversity who did their initial studies and orientation at the Language Centre," Mr Somerset says.
"This year the students applied for and got a Prime Minister's Education Assistance Program for Japan grant to visit here.
"The students' itinerary includes an overnight stay on Great Keppel Island at Keppel Haven, and visits to the Heritage Village, the Dreamtime Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Cooberrie Park."
"As they are education students, they are visiting Crescent Lagoon Primary School, Glenmore High School and Cathedral College to observe and participate in teaching."