In Japan, many women become full-time housewives after they got married. After a baby was born, it is his or her mother’s responsibility to take care of him or her. Early childhood education is called mother education in Japan, and a lot of Japanese think a mother’s capabilities determine her child’s development and growth.
Polite
Japanese is famous for their polite manner in the world. Parents take very seriously to teach their children to be polite. They teach their toddlers, for example, “Good morning!” “Good afternoon!” those greetings.
A greeting is thought as common sense. If a child can not say greeting, the child is thought as a not well educated child, and it is his or her parents fault for not teaching the child greeting.
Caring
Caring is defined to respect the feelings of others, and accept others, and sometimes consider others’ feeling first.
Young children, only think about themselves, which is the natural process of development. It is very important to teach children to think about others in daily life. Teach children kindness and sympathy.
Children who know caring can have a happy family; build good relationship with friends and colleagues, which is a key to happiness and success.
Find out what they like to do
For the future of children, Japanese parents do not have high expectations; they just hope their children find what they like to do in their own way. They do not force their children to do anything their children do not like to do. Compared with parents in other Asian countries, Japanese parents give their children more freedom to let them explore. However, recently, college dropped out and college graduates who do not want to work increase significantly.
The problem of bullying
Bullying exists in any society, however, the number of the elementary and middle school students who committed suicides in Japan because of bullying, is astonishing. Many Japanese think that the current society have surplus food however, the young generation are weak mentally. Some also think the current education in Japan stresses too much respect for individuality and personal dignity of individuals. Parents and school teachers should teach children that bullying is definitely wrong behavior in a clear attitude.
There are some people think that the postwar democracy of Japan gives the criminals and perpetrators too many human rights. To teach young generation needs clear laws to punish wrong behavior.
On the other hand, because it can be difficult to eliminate bullying in children, parents should teach their children to have kindness and caring, in the same time, also need to teach children self-esteem and help children to cultivate inner strength and metal toughness. Helping children to know right from wrong and grow a strong spirit are crucial.
Truancy problem
In Japan, recently the increase in the number of truant children has become a major problem. The reason is that there are some sort of psychological, emotional, physical or social causes and factors.
Some children did not go to school because of bullying while more and more children who have no appropriate reason do not go to school.
Some parents and school teachers think the children were just temporarily in bad mood and would return to the school soon, however there are some children already become truant children for a long time.
I think to respect children’s individuality is important, however, too much will damage children’s development and growth. To foster children a sense of responsibility is very important.
To be polite and kind and considerate to people, is a good manifestation of human nature. To respect for the child’s personality development, is to develop creative talents of basic education.
Bully exists in every society, but having experienced my children going to school in Japan and in a western society, I would say from my experience, bullying in Japan is more accepted, more severe and the blame put upon the victim not the bully. The number of suicides are not suprising considering the severity of bullying in Japan by both teachers, students and other mothers at the school. I am only suprised there are not more suicides considering how bad bullying here can be.
Schools and teachers and other mothers seem to subscribe to the `the victim is at fault`, the victim is weak, the victim is the problem type of thinking. This is damaging and wrong. But who here is willing to say that this is plain wrong.
It is not OK to bully a child because they are not `pure` Japanese, to be rude and bullying to the mother, to say bad thing about that person. It is not just bad manners, it is cruel. Japanese politeness doesnt seem to matter when bullying is involved.
Human beings are NOT all the same, they are individuals, with rights to a happy childhood. We all have a right not to be verbally and physically assaulted. However Japanese schools seem to neglect this.
The victim is NEVER to blame. Why should the victim have to be tough? Cant Japanese schools and students just be welcoming and kind?
What on earth is WRONG with Japan!
I think that Japanese education stresses kind heart and be thoughtful to other person, however Japan is a country with only one race, it is not open like U.S with various people came from all the countries around world. Almost everybody believes that globalization is unavoidable trend, to respect each other’s individuality is the key to succeed in the global society. I definitely think education in Japan should be more open minded!
I just love to read the articles in your blog, definitely will come back again soon!