My girlfriend’s oldest daughter is in 9th grade. She’s been attending school in the US since 7th grade, when she first arrived and spoke no English. Now her English skills are quite good, and being a teenager, she’d also quite outspoken at home.
At dinner time, I often am laughing at the stories she comes home with, and her perspectives on American students, teachers, and school culture, and usually end up trying to give some rationale as to why things are done, or considered acceptable here. Unfortunately, a response like “Shouganai…” isn’t ever enough.
It has lead to many interesting discussions on how learning and student behavior differs from Japan, and a lot of laughter all around. Here’s a list of some of the questions I’ve gotten from her, you can tell how Japan differs, as in Japan, it isn’t done, or is done the opposite way from the US:
- Why do the students have to change classrooms, instead of the teachers?
- Why are girls hugging all the time?
- Why do boys burp all the time, and loudly?
- Why don’t the students pay attention? They don’t think of school to learn, just to meet their friends and text each other….
- The teachers don’t care if the students are talking or not paying attention, or eating or drinking or texting in class! Often the teacher is eating or drinking too!
- Why do people think I eat sushi every day? (she takes obento for lunch)
- Everyone wears too much perfume and cologne, it smells terrible everywhere!
- I hate it that people fidget (binbouyusuri) in their seats – and so many people do it!
- Not enough time to go to toilet!
- Cafeteria is to small.
At school she tends to be very quiet, but she is really quite opinionated. Although she has a couple of friends, she would prefer it if no one talked to her and everyone was more focused on studying. she doesn’t want to hear personal stories from the teachers, she just wants to sit and learn.
She is concurrently homeschooling all of the required Japanese schoolwork as well, so it’s like she’s attending two schools at the same time. I’ve never seen anyone study as much as her. Currently she wants to become a veterinarian after she graduates. She tends to like animals more than people. She really doesn’t like boys at all, and I already feel sorry for the first boy that approaches her to ask her to a dance, or whatever, because I’m sure she’ll eviscerate his fragile ego without mercy and leave it torn an bloody on the dirt. But I’m sure she’ll be a good Vet.
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October 9, 2009 at 7:08 am
tokyo5
Yes, Japanese and U.S. schools are quite different.
Japanese junior high school students wear uniforms, eat lunch in their classroom, the kids serve each other lunch, (and the lunch menus are very different), the kids clean their school, there’s no lockers, and no showers, and no eating in the school (except lunch), and the kids stay in the same room (the teachers change rooms (as you mentioned)).
My youngest is in 中１ (equivalent to U.S. grade 7) too.
October 9, 2009 at 8:21 am
becomingjapanese
There has been experimentation in the US with having uniforms in the public schools, and there are a couple of local charter schools that have that. Personally, I think it’s a good idea. I find it interesting that they don’t have showers at the schools there. You’d think that they would be more likely than American schools to have them, since they put more of an emphasis on bathing and smelling good than we do.
October 9, 2009 at 8:54 am
tokyo5
School’s in Japan have no showers…and most don’t have air-conditioners.
The school’s budget is spent other ways.
Having seen my kids schools, and their homework and schoolwork, and the quality lunches and field trips…and how much better their schools and the education they’re getting is so much better than what I had…I think they’re doing it right.
October 9, 2009 at 4:10 pm
teakates
I totally sympathise with your girlfriend’s daughter, and I was an American going to these American schools! While I often had fun dressing funky, having a uniform would have saved so much time and petty competition among the students. I’m afraid American schools put academia pretty low on the list of priorities. The only exceptions are costly private schools. The UK is only marginally better, and don’t get me started on the French schoolkids who come over to Portsmouth by ferry…whatever it is they’re screaming nonstop, it isn’t the language of Voltaire!
Bless your lucky stars that she is rejecting boys and focusing on her studies. I’m sure you already are