Back to Skool

The stark contrast between the Occidental Industrial Education system, in which one was indoctrinated in the 70s, and Japanese eduction is profound.

Seeing Japanese school children dressed in school uniforms the first time was a sight to behold.

Having never thought about school uniforms until seeing the Japanese students, one could see they identified with their most important group—school mates.

However, in a small rural town in Occxie-land, it was always clear which strata of society the classmates resided in based upon the overall quality of their appearance, and personal hygiene protocol.

This truth only became more evident as things turned into a fashion show, and the spectrum of cruel one-upmanship was visceral as the Occxie-kids advanced up the Industrial Education indoctrination ladder.

To be clear—one-upmanship is innate in all humans—the Japanese are no exception—discrimination is simply more difficult to do based upon outward appearance.

Truly, one was also shocked to see Japanese children going to school on Saturday of all things!

In the pristine mountains of Occxie-land, Saturday was clearly the first day of the coveted weekend, and going to the indoctrination center was the furtherest thing from this author's mind.

Here in Japan, one also quickly understood the significance of the omnipresent school club and how it forges a mindset serving them in the hierarchal society of Japan.

The Japanese students must dedicated their life to their coach, fellow members, and pledge loyalty to the club.

These extracurricular activity, although said to be voluntary, are in reality not, unless one is asking for the dreaded mura hachibu.

Club activity often caps the regular school day with early bird practice from 06:30, resuming after school for a few more hours, just before running off to the cram school.

Not only does club activity make for really long days, but more often than not, club activity is also scheduled for Sunday—making the club predominate in Japanese school life.

The school year also last much longer in Japan.

In fact, one could say because of this, Japanese students are well prepared for the life of a worker bee as a cog in the machine of Japan—creating Form, Order, and Process.

The school year starts the beginning of April and goes all the way until the middle of March.

Summer break starts at the end of July, but this is where the omnipresent club activity relentlessly continues throughout August, with a short intermission to celebrate Obon.

Don't forget to add in the copious amount of homework for the Japanese student to complete over the summer holiday—in principle any notion of separation from the school community is simply never considered.

Fortunately for this Occxie-kid, who could not identify with the soul crushing Industrial Education System, the two and a half months of summer vacation was replete with tons of fun and boatloads of joy.

It's true—the school doors were slammed shut and locked, until the beginning of new school year—in September.

Truthfully, the chances of this author remembering any math equations or most of the other pointless drivel spewed from the extremely tedious government employees was minimal at the best.

Surely the designers of the morally bankrupt Anti Matriculation protocol—formerly known as the Industrial Education Complex—supposedly created to nurture, enlighten, and brighten our children—only to produces indoctrinated, stoopid, and willfully ignorant adherents—clearly a reflection of Mal Matriculated Industrial Drones.

Could it be the Japanese education system is a more pragmatic way to prepare its citizens for real life in the modern world?

Indeed, for first three years of elementary school life in Japan, there are no tests.

Here the conventions of Japanese society are instilled into the children along with communal objectives such as planting a garden, or raising small animals in the school yard.

For Japanese student, going to school is nothing short of the ultimate practice for when they official join "adulthood" as formalized in the Coming Of Age Ceremony come January.

Consider an education system a reflection of any given society as a whole—the conventions and protocols contained within will undoubtedly determine its success or failure.

Even so, as the world turns, the Industrial Education Complex is now in it's final stages, and herein lies the opportunity for the Japanese to create new education systems to serve the world's children in the Age Of Corona, now and far beyond.

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