Day 8: School (がっこう)

One thing about Japan that's really hard to swallow sometimes is the incredible strictness of the school system. Pre-school to early middle school is pretty much the same as the States, but let me tell you--At the end of middle school, it gets real.

Here in America, I'd say that college is pretty important. I mean, it's a good thing if you can go to a well-respected college, but the most important thing is just having some sort of degree. Even then, unless you're going into an incredibly specialized field such as medical, your options are pretty broad.

It's nothing like that here in Japan. Here, college pretty much decides the kind of job you can get. Want a good job? Get into a good college. But it's not as simple as that even. See, to get into a good college you have to get into a good high school. And how do you get into a good high school you ask? Rock those high school entrance exams. So it's pretty fair to say that your whole life starts to be decided during the end middle school. A lot of stress for young kids.

And as you've probably guessed, school in general is no cakewalk either. Even more so than the States. Tonight, I taught one of our Wednesday night English students for the second time. He's beginning the 11th grade, and attends one of the top high schools in the area. He showed us his schedule for the new semester tonight, and it contained about eleven classes total, with seven periods a day. He told us that he pulls at least a couple all-nighters a week just to get his work done. These kids aren't working just so their parents will praise their grades--They're working towards their future. It depends on this stuff to a very high degree.

It's kind of a weird thing to swallow. I mean, yeah, there were times during high school/college where I was busy, but I always had time to pursue my hobbies. An all-nighter before exam day here and there perhaps, but I never felt all that overworked. I've heard it said that many Japanese schoolkids are robbed of their childhood--And that's sad.

It all comes from the work-a-holic culture here. Work is the most important thing of all. Doing good work means you have value. Doing poor work means you don't. It kind of defines you. Just another ugly blemish that makes the gospel all the harder a message to preach.

つづく。見ていますか?　この偽光。