Undercover in Japan – English alcoholics <http://quaisi.net/english-alcoholics/>
“I`ve worked in a number of evening schools in Osaka and I`ve seen a lot of children who go to English schools and work at an intensity that is unnecesary for them.
I had one eleven year old girl at my old school doing English listening tests designed for Senior High school students. Another`s mother at the school I teach at now asked for the next set of homework cards they have to study from as early preparation even though they are in the middle of the previous set now.
In both these cases it is the mother who asked the school`s managers to do these things. In both these cases, the children were introverted and although they seemed to enjoy the lessons, they weren`t happy about being made to do practice exams designed for students seven or eight years their senior.
The managers have no choice of course. Like the pub owner who opens the door to the drunk and serves him beer until his wallet is empty, these schools rely on these kinds of mothers to support their business. If the schools don`t acquiesce to their needs, they`ll go elsewhere. And there are plenty of places willing to take them.
This isn`t only applicable to English schools. I asked them what other lessons they take and they all had three or four others – swimming club, cram school, athletics, calligraphy classes, flower aranging, maths and piano lessons among the mix.
As a parent to be, I can understand that the parents want their children to be the best they can possibly be, yet a child needs space to grow and play before they are robbed of this freedom and crushed by an onslaught of exams, work and deadlines in their adult life. Why crush them when they are still young and carefree?”
四百年前的日本戰國時代，少年一般十二、三歲就行成年禮、完婚，為的就是上戰場為保衛家族而戰。他們不少在初陣戰死；幸存的回到家可能會發現家庭多了一名新成員，是的，他在這年紀也已經有自己的後代；就算沒有此驚喜，也別指望可以可以繼續玩樂，因為他是大人了，家庭的大小事務也要分擔，有身分的更可能要管治領地、策劃軍事行動、外交等等。
過了這麼多世代，到了所謂的文明社會，大人依然可以有各種理由去縮短小朋友的成長期。嘿﹗﹗關乎前途呢，對嗎？既然如此，十一歲做高中生的作業，我看十一歲發生行為也正常，畢竟他們所做的跟大人的不無兩樣，心智也不會嫩得去那裡…
荒謬？
你們才荒謬…
還有︰
“school’s managers have no choice of course”…
我不同意。滿足需求也要有原則吧。教育家要負責教育的不只是學生，還有家長，要讓他們了解合適的教育方法。為求生存就怕得失不是真正客人的客人，那豈非有錢就可以胡亂改變教育的模式？
又是「外行主導內行？」嘿﹗嘿﹗嘿﹗
