The first nine years of education, six years elementary school and three years junior high school, are compulsory in Japan. My elder daughter Emi has graduated a junior high school last week. I thought that someday the day would come, but it really came to her.
She goes to a senior high school in Utsunomiya coming April, so our life style does not change much.
But, my friends’ twin daughters go to a high school in different prefecture. The fifteen-year old sisters will live together in different town apart from their parents… sigh. I understand their father’s feelings very much and sympathize him.
The sisters are also my friends. I play tennis with them once or twice a week for more than one year. They used to quarrel each other in every occasion. I thought it was annoying, but to think about that it’s impossible to play tennis with them makes me sad.
I want to congratulate my daughter and the sisters on the graduation and wish their wonderful high school days.
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2 comments:
I always wondered what they meant in Japanese movies when they said they were graduating from 9th grade. I like that they have to pass exams and choose what school they go into to continue their education. It's kinda odd when put to our low standards here in America's schools. You don't even need to pass but one exam to graduate High School these days... and it is very simple to do so. And college is also just a lot of busy work. I do not know if it is the same in Japan, but you essentialy go to a class in which a person talks for an hour and a half(sometimes two or more hours)... and every three weeks there are tests of what you've learned. It just does not seem very productive to me.
I think it’s very difficult or almost impossible to make a perfect school for everybody.
I think if one has a strong “will” to learn something, that’s the best environment to study. I’m 49 years old but still studying of engineering through working. There are no limitations in engineering and a foreign language study.
(^^)
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