Japanese Teachers Tour DE Schools

Pythoness · #1 02-27-2008, 11:18 AM

Remember when we were talking about the differences, culturally, between American schools and Japanese schools?

East Meets West In Classroom

The topic of school discipline came up again and again Tuesday when a group of Japanese educators visited the Appoquinimink School District to get a look at public schooling, American-style.

Some highlights worthy of note to me:

"Japan's public schools do not employ custodians. If students make a mess, students clean it up -- and quickly.."

"..students in Japan adhere to a strict dress code. There are no police officers, metal detectors or security cameras in public schools, he said. And he's never heard of a student bringing a gun to school."

"Suspension in Japanese public schools is extremely rare. Appoquinimink School District, with 7,588 students enrolled in 11 schools, issued 894 suspensions in the 2006-2007 school year, according to district spokeswoman Lilian Miles."

"A widely held view in Japan is that American schools are overly permissive, Hotta said."

Panama Girl · #2 04-02-2008, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pythoness

"Japan's public schools do not employ custodians. If students make a mess, students clean it up -- and quickly.."

Manners are learned at home...

Quote:

"..students in Japan adhere to a strict dress code. There are no police officers, metal detectors or security cameras in public schools, he said. And he's never heard of a student bringing a gun to school."

I am an advocate of school uniforms, it makes dress codes easier to adhere to.... and that way girls can't accuse a teacher of being a pervert because they (students) are called out for noticeably not wearing a bra.

Quote:

"Suspension in Japanese public schools is extremely rare. Appoquinimink School District, with 7,588 students enrolled in 11 schools, issued 894 suspensions in the 2006-2007 school year, according to district spokeswoman Lilian Miles."

"A widely held view in Japan is that American schools are overly permissive, Hotta said."

This stems from cultural values. Socially-considerate behavior is rewarded in Japan, while here children are encouraged to be "individuals" by acting out.

Panama Girl · #3 05-08-2008, 04:18 PM

*bump*

longnecker · #4 05-18-2008, 03:27 AM

This stems from cultural values. Socially-considerate behavior is rewarded in Japan, while here children are encouraged to be "individuals" by acting out.[/quote]

While I would never encourage my son to"act out" against authority,has certainly been taught not to take any crap to avoid anybody trying to bully.

Tracy · #5 05-18-2008, 09:34 AM

I wish we could take a little of each....I think most American kids are seriously lacking manners. I think I posted before that it drives me crazy that people just don't teach their kids anymore the simple art of "please" and "thank you." My children had it DRILLED into their head. I'm far from perfect though, my kids really are spoiled and have come to expect things and don't appreciate what they have. I'm seriously considering bringing my daughter to volunteer opportunites that my employer offers. I've already learned a long time ago....there's just no way I'm going to be able to not find a way to get them what they want

.....at least this way, if she sees others that don't have it was good as her, maybe she'll begin to appreciate what she has.

To get back to the original point of the thread before I started rambling, I think it's extremley important to stress individuality with your kids. However, can't they be themselves but polite selves?

Pythoness · #6 05-19-2008, 09:51 AM

It's such a cultural difference, I'm not even sure you could begin to compare the two (Japanese and American schools).

Sure, you could say, "Hey, that's a great idea to have students clean up their own messes," but when it comes right down to it, in American schools, it wouldn't work, because someone would be oppositional/defiant and just NOT do it, and then what? It would still lead to some sort of disciplinary action: Detention/Suspension, etc.

I never did understand the point of out of school suspensions. It makes whatever behavior got the kid suspended for a self-rewarding behavior. I think out of school suspensions should be completely done away with in favor of in school suspensions.. where the kids spend at least a big chunk of the day cleaning bathrooms, cleaning up the cafeteria after lunches, etc.

THAT would be a deterrent.

Kid Lester · #7 05-19-2008, 09:59 AM

In school suspension is a joke, too.

The student gets credit for coming to school...so it's not an "unexcused absence"

But they just sit in a room all day long.

Sometimes they have classwork to work on. Most times, they just sit and stare.

And it's the same kids ALL the time.

Just a way to cattle prod them to a worthless diploma.

They SHOULD have to do work, like clean ups and repairs.

But they don't.

So, I guess, in some ways...for the kids who pull 20 days of in school suspension (and there are MANY that do)...it's almost more of an incentive if they get out of school suspension, where they are unexcused absences.

Then they have to repeat a grade. Or better yet, drop out.

Students that truly do not want to be in school are the biggest problem in public school.

They bring down so many others that DO.

Chase · #8 05-19-2008, 10:03 AM

I went to school with a kid in bedford who came in to school 3 or 4 days, report card day....only....seriously.

I agree with you all about the suspensions, it's a tough call, i wouldn't know, all my school life i only ever got 1 detention, ever.....

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Kid Lester · #9 05-19-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chase

all my school life i only ever got 1 detention, ever.....

I got an in-school once. Had to drop some idiot that desperately deserved it.

I remember, I read Stephen King's "Different Seasons" cover to cover.

The slackjaws I was in there with, though....you could tell they made a living out of being there. Nothing to read, nothing to work on...just f'ed with the ISS teacher all day.

Edit: Shit, I lied. It was the Bachman Books collection...not Different Seasons.

Pythoness · #10 05-19-2008, 10:12 AM

KL.. I've been waiting.. *checks the first post and decides not to try and figure the math out* .. MONTHS to hear from you on this.

And Wendy, too, where's Wendy?!

Anyway.. There are kids that WANT to be in school? I always thought there were varying levels of not wanting to be in school from "It's okay, but I'd rather.." to apathy to downright defiance.

I can tell you, I never wanted to go to school, but I wasn't usually a discipline problem.

I know I got suspended for fighting and smoking on school grounds. Now.. the smoking on school grounds thing.. there was just no way around that. I was gonna do it no matter what somebody did to me.

The fighting thing could have been taken care of by a teacher the two times I told someone that this guy was kicking me under a table and wouldn't stop before I laid him out, but instead she decided to be cute both times and not really deal with issues, so I had to.

Japanese Teachers Tour DE Schools

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