Going To School On Saturday

Japanese students from kids in kindergarten and elementary school to college students have to attend school on Saturday, but only in the morning. It is a long tradition since the Meiji era. It then turns out that Japanese school children go to their schools 241 days a year, while, by contrast, American students go to school only 180days a year. There is sixty days difference between two countries. American people may wonder why the teachers in Japan don't complain about working so long, although they understand that Japanese schoolchildren have no choice but to follow this long-term tradition.

It is also true that the Ministry of Education in Japan has long been considering the possibility of the study-off on Saturday, and its advantages and disadvantages. The officials in the Ministry, however, hesitated to start this plan, partly because the mothers of schoolchildren were opposed. Eventually the Ministry decided to carry out this long-considered program, which has just started this semester; September 1992. But, it's merely 'once a month'. They seem to grudge giving holidays to students.

This happening was reported in the Sunday Camera on September 13 as the world news. It is quite interesting to me to see how this issue was described in the article titled "Japanese students enjoy 'study-free' Saturday." I like the critical eye of American writers.

The writer, Teresa Watanabe, began this article with
"As Japanese schoolchildren took their first Saturday off in 120 years, ushering in a new era of leisure for this nation's 'studyholics'・・・・・・."

Even though this seems to be exaggerated, her expression is not wrong. Since the modernization of my country in the late-19th century, six days a week was adopted as a fundamental pattern of working in every institution, governmental office and business society. But, among other societies, schools and colleges have long been keeping this system so far.

I think it is a good timing to examine the basic problems of the current Japanese educational system, when we enter 'the new era' in the education. I hope there will be plenty of discussion on the conservative education and controversial issue of competitiveness in the examinations in my country.

****One of my American friends made a comment on this essay:
I've read about the study-free days, too.
Italy still has Saturday classes.
There, the teachers only teach 5days with one variable day-off, while the students attend class 6 days.
Their parents want them in class Saturday morning!