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no one likes a tattle tale Razz

but i suspect i know what site he's talking about, and they're pretty bad about the piracy thing.

Jadress wrote:

Wow, the article on the dark side of Japan's education was morbidly fascinating and brutal. I am kind of interested in it though. It's amazing how cruel people can be. I think this explains a lot about the Japanese being f-ed up *coughHideakiAnno*

Yeah, and that other story definitely sounded like porn. Heheh

Pretty much all asian countries follow a strict corporal punishiment, not just Japan. Korea's school system is definitely worst.

I'm always suprised, and disgusted, to see how much bootleggers can get away with. I was at EB games in the mall the other day and they had an HK Lain in the used DVD bin. When I told the clerk it was bootleg, his repsonse was "we know, and we don't care." I wanted to let Geneon know but they only have a snail mail address for contact information.

Stormkoopa wrote:

I'm always suprised, and disgusted, to see how much bootleggers can get away with. I was at EB games in the mall the other day and they had an HK Lain in the used DVD bin. When I told the clerk it was bootleg, his repsonse was "we know, and we don't care." I wanted to let Geneon know but they only have a snail mail address for contact information.

and of course you're WAAAAAY too busy to waste your time mailing a letter to geneon. seriously, unless you're willing to put some effort into it don't be offended by it.

You can reach Geneon at [email protected].
(Geneon's Contact Page)

I followed the link about the corporal punishment stuff and was just amazed by it. I have to hope that the examples cited there were isolated ones, but if they aren't then it's a really screwed-up system.

Four or five suicides in one year in one school? I have been teaching at the same high school in the States for nine years, and during that time I can think of only one case of a student death involving one of our students that was, for certain, a suicide - and that was for reasons entirely unrelated to school. I've heard that Japan has a much bigger problem with suicide rates, especially amongst teens, but man.

If you ever want to see a good Japanese live-action movie on the subject, check out The Suicide Club sometime. Fair warning, it can be pretty graphic.

It also just stuns me at what Japanese teachers can apparently get away with. Here in the States we're the polar opposite. Teachers are strongly advised (especially at the secondary level) not to even touch a student on the shoulder, and smacking one or roughing one up in any way would certainly earn you a suspension. And the students know it. Even cursing at or belittling a student is a big no-no. (Although you can get away with that if you know what you're doing and who you're dealing with. I deal with inner-city kids, and some of them actually respect you more if you're willing to trade snappy insults with them.)

The "Teacher's Dispatch" article is almost certainly a piece of erotic fiction disguised as a report. The author's name, "Alice Liddell" is obviously a pseudonym based on the original name of the Alice of "Alice in Wonderland." If there even was a magazine "Education Today" in 1934, I'm sure it would never have published writing of this kind.

Key wrote:

I followed the link about the corporal punishment stuff and was just amazed by it. I have to hope that the examples cited there were isolated ones, but if they aren't then it's a really screwed-up system.

It also just stuns me at what Japanese teachers can apparently get away with. Here in the States we're the polar opposite. Teachers are strongly advised (especially at the secondary level) not to even touch a student on the shoulder, and smacking one or roughing one up in any way would certainly earn you a suspension. And the students know it. )

Actually certain Western Countries had far worse things happen. In certain Catholic Missionary Schools girl students had punishments that are regarded as torture by human right commisions and the law. For example Nuns putting children's hands on hot plates therby burning them.

Even in the South violations of children's and legal student rights occur. Children that opt out of the pledge of alleigance are often hit by teachers.

And prior to the 1970s it was quite common for Teachers to refer to Jews as Christ Killers and force children to pray.

Education Today is a magazine. There are several versions however. Since it is such a common phrase tracking it down to 1934 is something I have been unable to do.

Alice Liddell was a real person. She was born in 1852 died in 1934 and knew Charles Lutwidge Dodgson whose penname was Lewis Carroll.

It is suspected they had a romantic relationship but Diary entries that could have shed light on this were destroyed by Dodgson's heirs.

Even though things are better in US schools at least today, I can still remember a teacher who took it too far (no names to protect the guilty sunabich...from suing me for libel Razz

) There was a drama teacher I knew who once threw a chair at one of his students (wasn't my class, but I did have this joker for a year as a drama teacher) because she apparently wasn't giving him the performance he was looking for, and was known for blowing up and berating his students in rather vile terms while in rehearsal...

If that's what they do to tardy students, I wonder what they'd do to these bootleggers...

Last edited by Proman on Sat Jun 11, 2005 7:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

Not to critisize or anything but I didn't think that the "Before you start skittering around and looking at your pets in inappropriate ways" line was appropriate.

Other than that good column as usual.

Key wrote:

It also just stuns me at what Japanese teachers can apparently get away with.

Well, you must also understand that the Japanese culture system is different than ours. In the US, you can't even look at someone the wrong way without getting sued or worse.

The other thing about education is that it's based on what the indigenous culture thinks is important for children to learn in order to fully become adults in the world, and while Japan is modern in various ways, it still has a traditionalness to it. I still feel that the mindset of Japan on is "You will do X, Y, and Z and you will do them correctly. If you can't, then you suck at life. Failure is not an option." This can be stressful to children, especially those who aren't on the same pace as the rest of the kids in their grade. Since students go into the next grade regardless of how well they are doing, the problems could just pile up and could even drive those far enough out of "the loop" to things such as dopping out or suicide.

Of course, this brings up the interesting question of "Why does all the cool stuff in anime happen to kids who aren't doing well in school/life?" but I digress.

[quote="toomanyalts"]

Key wrote:

Education Today is a magazine. There are several versions however. Since it is such a common phrase tracking it down to 1934 is something I have been unable to do.

I did a quick check of the University of California Melvyl catalog and the oldest periodical with that title started publication in 1950. The UC system has a very comprehensive collection of educational materials so I doubt there is an older magazine with that name (could be wrong tho')

As for student suicide, at least for teens, Japan has a much lower rate than the US.

Proman wrote:

Not to critisize or anything but I didn't think that the "Before you start skittering around and looking at your pets in inappropriate ways" was appropriate.

Didn't mind that, was kind of funny. What I have a problem with is a link to a website of erotic stories featuring children. Now THAT is not appropriate.

Frood