Japanese schools have a unique system where students are responsible for cleaning their own classrooms and school facilities, which has been in place since the 1870s. Students are divided into teams responsible for different cleaning tasks, and the practice teaches children responsibility and discipline while saving schools money on janitorial services. While there are challenges associated with the system, it has become an important cultural tradition in Japan that reinforces values such as respect for the environment and consideration for others. Similar systems are also in place in other countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.