It could be worse...

...you could be a Japanese school kid.

Do not get me wrong- I am well aware that the U.K. does not have a perfect education system. Many children are failed by it and for a 'developed' country we have an disgustingly high level of illiteracy, and a high number of young people who drop out or are excluded before their minimum schooling needs are even met.

Yet, having lived in Japan now for almost 8 months, I feel a little qualified to comment on what I've seen of the Japanese education system. Admittedly I only get to see what happens in English lessons, but these are things that are bugging me/the reasons I'm glad I was never a Japanese school kid.

~ NO CENTRAL HEATING. Or air conditioning in the stupidly hot summers.

~ After school activities that once you've joined you cannot quit or swap to another club- hate it? Too bad- you're in that club for 3 years at least, come rain or shine.

~ Ijime (bullying)- sadly a fact of school life globally, but the number of victims committing suicide in Japan is such that playing 'hangman' with students is seen as inappropriate.

~ Fear of speaking out/ acute shyness. I have stood waiting for the answer to a simple question, twitching unbearably at how long a student is taking to answer and shyness plays a huge role in this. Even if classmates are whispering the answer, a lot of children lack such confidence that they are unable to utter a simple sentence. I have a third year boy (14/15 years old) who has curled up in a ball rather than speak to me. I have so many students who cover their mouths whilst talking, or get uncontrollable giggles, or look like they want to die rather than open their mouths.
It's painful for them, and it's painful to watch.

~ Disruptive kids who aren't disciplined. So much goes on in a Japanese classroom that wouldn't be tolerated for a second in England. Play up in a classroom in England and you're sure to be sent out of the classroom- do it enough and you can be excluded. Not a great solution for the problem child- but why should the rest of the class have to suffer?

~ Japanese teachers who don't speak English. Not a problem if you're learning Japanese- but not helpful if you are learning English.

~ Remember being put into ability level classes for certain subjects? Here in Japan- you decide what level you are. So we have low ability kids choosing higher level classes because that's where their friends are, or because they prefer the higher level status.

~ I am also driven crazy by the fact that worksheets are handed out at the same time as the answer sheets. I wander round the classroom and see answers being copied down mindlessly- yet ask the student what they've copied down and a look of confusion and panic crosses their faces as they've no idea. ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!

~ Exam stress- it's all about getting into a good elementary school to get into a good junior high school to get into a good high school to get into a good university to get into a good job- they really are that linked over here- which means exams, exams, exams, and lots of learning by rote.

~ Cram schools- the pressure to succeed is such that many students who can afford to attend jukus (cram schools)- this is after a regular day of schooling, and several hours of their chosen after school activity. It means that high numbers of students often fall asleep in school the next day- and they are not woken up by anyone but are allowed to sleep!

~ I also see support here for single sex schooling- it could just be a Japanese thing but the boys get all the attention, they have far more confidence and a lot of the girls look like zombies- admittedly I'd look a bit out of it if I was sat in such a dull English lesson too (and I probably do sometimes), but I want to shake some of them. Too scared to raise their voice above a whisper when called upon, or to even offer an answer. I watched as a 1st year boy swiped a 1st year girl's cake that had just been given to her by a friend. She didn't say a word. I swiped it back off him and asked her whether she wanted it and she admitted that she did. I didn't have enough Japanese to ask her why she hadn't said so to the boy.

If I had a kid in Japan I'd seriously consider home schooling.

I wrote this entry on a cranky day- but sadly even on a good day all of the above stands.

And on with the pics...



I breathed on my lens to take this :)



And my favourite time of year has begun... *raised eyebrow*- can't it be the 26th of December already?!



Yasumi displays the new yummy winter dessert menu at Joyfull. (Not a typo- they use 2 'l's.)



A letter from my 2nd years at my favourite school (they were made to write it, but still- look, it's my beloved Elmo!)

Days till I'm back in the U.K. for Xmas: 18...

And the new vid from Rip Slyme who have a new album out that I'm seriously considering buying...