Create a comfortable learning space for all children and teachers
Challenges and Changes in the School Market
With the emergence of new forms of teaching that require more space (e.g.,group learning) and "inclusive education" initiatives that allow all children, regardless of disabilities, to learn together, the demand for more diverse classroom space is increasing. The optimal classroom space pursued by each school varies widely from child to child and from teacher to teacher, and each child has a different sense of ease of learning, concentration and comfort. The classroom space of the future should not be a monotonous space, but rather a flexible and diverse space that allows pupils to learn freely by trial and error in school.
Key risks and opportunities
Strategies for the School Market
●Medium-term strategy
The aging of public school buildings has become a problem.
In response to this, local governments are now drawing up “Individual Facility Plans” for the future with the target of completing them by March 2021. Once the plans are completed, the construction work on aging facilities is expected to begin. We will provide products to enhance the value of classrooms by accurately grasping the needs of the diversity in classrooms.
●Long-term strategy
We believe that the digitalization of educational settings will continue to advance. Therefore, we will continue to develop new products for the classroom that utilize digital technology. In addition, the necessity for remote teaching is increasing, and there is a need for spaces that facilitate learning at home and other places outside of schools. We will also contribute to the diversification of these places of learning.
School Market Initiatives
We continue to visit leading schools across the country to interview teachers and study the learning environment. We also invite experts in the field of school facility design to exchange opinions while developing our products. In addition to accurately grasping the potential needs of schools, we will continue to develop products that incorporate the elements required for future school spaces.
【Topic】Release of “SPart-W” which uses a welding-free method
In April 2020, we released SPart-W (SPart-Double), the industry's first wooden school partition using the "weldless" method". Neither being installed with welding, nor being directly attached to the beams of a building, the “SPart-W" does not require any extensive work. This allows for relocation and addition of partitions enabling flexible use of the classroom. The SPart-W can flexibly adapt to the increase in the number of vacant classrooms due to the declining birthrate and the change of use of classrooms in the future.