We struggle with the differences
between the American emphasis on
the individual and the Japanese
emphasis on the group.
We struggle with the differences
between the American emphasis on
the individual and the Japanese
emphasis on the group.
We are finding this culture fascinating and frustrating. It is very different from America, but yet as we learn more about it we find it self-consistent. I am aware that Japan bashing is all the election year rage. It seems so strange to me that we as Americans spend everything we make, borrow massive amounts of money to support an unmaintainable level of spending and then whining blame the Japanese for the resulting problems. So, if the tone of what follows sounds negative, it's not because of fadish Japan bashing, but mostly because of good ole fashioned culture shock.
Several months ago soon after we first arrived, parents were invited to observe their children at Shannon's kindergarten. This I did. There were 33 kids in the middle of the room and the same number of parents standing around the edge of the room. A fight broke out between two boys. One kid was obviously getting the worse of it, being really hammered by the other. Strangely, no one made an effort to break up the fight. The teacher was preoccupied with some other students. Finally, the teacher came over and broke up the fight. This happened again later on, and again no one made an effort to break up the fight. Puzzled by this I recently asked a Seiwa teacher who received his doctorate in the US about this behavior. His reply was that the classroom was the teacher's area of responsibility and the parents did not feel it appropriate for them to intrude into that!
This concept of the teachers responsibility for the student is so very different for us. Another example was faced by Catherine recently. It was apparent that several students were going to fail their classes for the year. From Catherine's perspective it was because they just didn't care to study or work. So she believed that as high school students they should be responsible for their actions. That's not the way the Japanese teachers think. Failing a student is a reflection not on the student but on the teacher and the school. The teacher is responsible for ensuring that the student is able to pass. Hence, if a student does fail their regular class work and exams, they are given other exams until they pass!
Another example of teacher responsibility is the disciplining of students for unacceptable behavior performed off campus!! A student caught smoking or drinking during their own free time will be disciplined just as if they had done it on campus. (Sometimes their sense of discipline is strange to us. A student who had dropped out of school wished to return. As punishment she was suspended.) Recently, at the junior high I teach at, an irate person called the principal to complain that one of his students in uniform was eating ice cream down one of the main shopping areas in town! (Eating on the street is considered rude behavior.) A tutor of Heather's related that once one of her students was caught shoplifting. The store keeper called the school, not the police or parents, about it! That evening the teacher went to the store keeper and apologized for the student's behavior. Teacher responsibility sometimes comes to forming impromptu patrols of downtown Kochi at night to make sure that students are not without proper supervision.
All this leaves Catherine aghast. She wonders where their sense of personal responsibility comes from. Leaving that issue aside for a moment I see this behavior as a very powerful safety net for children. At least someone in addition to parents has a powerful sense of responsibility for the students. In the US if the parents have little sense or responsibility for their children, who will make sure they will be given the care and instruction not to fall to the wayside and be left behind? Unfortunately, in the US that sort of burden could not be placed upon the average teacher now because the utter neediness that so many of our children have would be overwhelming. But in Japan, where the family unit is still fairly stable and cultural values homogenous, it adds another layer to make sure that the group is cared for. In Japan, society expects teachers to make up for any shortfall. And it seems to work.
Long working hours, relative to American standards, are the norm for business and education. Recently, I saw that the average Japanese worker puts in 2000 hrs/yr, about 200-500 hours more than their American or European counterparts. Even at Seiwa, the younger teachers put in 10 hour days including 6-8 hours on Saturday. For students, school starts at about 8:30 and ends at about 4:00 and includes a half day on Saturday. Oftentimes Heather doesn't get home until 4:30. For students preparing for examinations, which is the majority, there is juku, the school after school. Hence many students don't arrive home until after 7:00. Many Japanese believe they are working too hard, but the problem is that no one knows quite how to change the situation. No business is willing to lose a competitive edge by reducing working hours. No student or parent is willing to relax because someone else might get their position in the good school. The government has set a national goal of 1800 hrs/yr for the average worker, but little progress has been made. It is also believed that the tremendous pressure to succeed at examinations has stunted the overall development of children. Hence, the government has mandated that twice a month, starting in September, children will have Saturdays free. The question in many people's mind is what will be done with the free time? Will juku just expand to fill the time? Stay tuned.