The number of children who refuse to go to school is exponentially increasing in Japan. A mayor says that the primary responsibility is for their parents. He also mentions that the attitude toward accepting the refusal to go to school and increasing other options for children other than going to officially admitted schools can threaten the national foundation.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20231020/p2a/00m/0na/012000c
8 comments
I wonder how widespread homeschooling is in japan, or getting personal tutors so you dont have to go to public school?
Old man old manning.
Shame. Homeschooling can be a great alternative to underfunded and overcrowded schools.
My son has autism and was badly bullied in elementary school. The school did nothing to support him. The schooling system in Japan is very rigid, so you either fit in or you don’t. For those who don’t, there are few alternatives. While junior high school is compulsory, if kids refuse to go, there is little they can do about it. My son goes to an online school and it’s amazing. He can learn about different subjects from people who are experts in their field and have amazing teaching techniques. I know many children who go to free schools and I think they are a fantastic resource for kids who don’t fit in to the regular schooling system. It’s better than them being forced to go to regular schools and killing themselves.
I mean, I work in a school in Japan, and I can confirm that at least some portion of truancy is the fault of the parents. Teachers can only try to get the kids to come to class so many times if the parents don’t give a shit. Obviously this doesn’t apply to all situations, but it does to some, also there are some parents who refused to put their kids in special ed even though the school recommended it. Some parents truly don’t give a shit, it’s sad.
Japanese schools have a lot of issues and aren’t the right fit for some kids. Then again, I’m not sure free-range schooling where kids can decide to do whatever they want, including just gaming all day is the best way to educate kids either.
What happens when they need to get a job and don’t have the basic math, Japanese, or other skills necessary to do anything but work at a conbini or warehouse. Is that really the best way to set these kids up for the future? It seems like there should be *some* standards or it is a huge disservice to the kids who will suddenly be adults without many options.
He is probably not wrong in his conclusion. With that said, public schools have to adapt some too.
Education… I stopped thinking about it much when I realized critical thinking skills are dangerous. But still believe this. , get your child to School here. Teach them your pipe dreams after school and on weekends.
Every damn thing some ojisan disagrees with is “threatening national foundation”