School Differences

Place : Kyoto
Taken by : S. Y. (Doshisha International Junior/Senior High School)

This is a train. In Japan, if you go to a private school in most cases you need to use a train to go to school. In the train there is a time called "The Rush Hour" and that time, the trains are filled with people who go to their company and to their school.

This is a backpack called a Randoseru. Most elementary students use this bag to go to school. They wear a yellow hat too. Girls mostly use red or pink one and boys mostly use black or blue ones.

This is a school uniform. Most schools in Japan have school uniforms, even if it's a private school or not. They wear it and use a bag which is chosen by the school.

This is an exercise uniform which you use at PE. This is different at each school as the school uniform. You change into these clothes before PE starts.

In America, most students use things like cars and school buses to go to school. They don't walk or use bicycles. It's probably because America is a large country and even if you make many schools, it's hard to make them near to everyone. But in Japan, most students walk to school. If you don't go to a private school and if you go to a public school, you don't need to use a car or a train. It's probably because Japan is a small country and if you make some schools, they will be near to everyone.

The thing that I thought strange is that everything is selected and chosen by the school. I thought so because if you're an elementary student, you are putting on a yellow hat which the school chose, and if you're a junior high or high school student, you are wearing a uniform and holding a bag which is chosen too. America isn't tight like that.

Japan is probably thinking our safety. But I think you might not need to do it too much. Probably there are different opinions at this, but I think it will just make the children awkward and their world tight.



Child Research Net would like to thank the Doshisha International Junior/Senior High School and Satomi Yamada, student and author, for permitting reproduction of this article on the CRN web site.


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