Teachers > Parents

So this morning when I got to school I saw one of my students in a car. That was rather strange as all of my junior high students ride their bikes or walk to school. Turns out that she twisted her ankle yesterday at volleyball practice. So this morning, her father drove her all the way to school to consult with the P.E. teacher as to if he should take her to a hospital or not. It was decided that she should go to the hospital to be checked out in case it was broken. Thankfully it is only a sprain, but she will still have to miss out on Sports Day this weekend which is a major bummer.

This whole scene was rather strange to me, because in America this would probably never happen. If a child was hurt at school and the parent went to pick them up they might ask the nurse’s opinion (or the sports couch’s opinion if hurt at practice) as to if they should go to the hospital. But I can’t really see someone driving the kid to school in the morning with the sole intent of asking if they should go to the hospital. Most parents I know would simply make that decision on their own.

This is really just another example of how much teachers are respected in Japan and how in many ways they are seen as the primary caretaker of the students. I’ve been told that if a student gets in trouble with the police the police will report to the school before they report to the parents. And like I’ve said before, many things that in America are the parent’s responsibility, fall on the teachers here such as good hygiene, morals and ethics, and citizenship. Of course this also leads to the phenomenon of Monster Parents, which will be discussed in detail at a later date.

This was just another reminder that I am in a different country with a different culture. Is it “wrong” to seek a teacher’s opinion instead of making the decision yourself? No, its simply different. Everyone had the student’s best interest at heart and she got what she needed.

By the way, this blog's 50th post is coming up.  There will be a very special post for that.  It's something I have had planned for a while and I promise it is amazing.  Look forward to it!