A video on youtube was posted showing young children sweeping the classroom floors in Japan. In Japanese schools this is normal, unlike many countries in the west where janitors are hired to clean the schools professionally. Comments posted on the video from those who have probably never experienced the Japanese School system left mostly positive comments.
“Aw.I wish we did that over here in america. My elementary school life was boring. You learned and then you went home.” – KittenNyanNyan
“they’re enjoying themselves…
I LOVE Japan !! ^^” – Maio0oia
“That is why asian are so disciplined:)” – wowee9314
In response the 2channers, who are mostly Japanese and had experience in such an environment were a bit more skeptical. Some agreed with the tradition saying that it was good education, but others say it was an old tradition getting stale. Here are some excerpts of the comments posted on the thread
“Because you clean up the mess you’ve made, I don’t want to be told by westerners who rely on housekeepers to clean up everything”
“I think it was ridiculous that they made us clean the principles office, and the teachers lounge. They even made us clean the ashtrays that the teachers were using”
“When I think of it now, it was crazy, I’ve always wondered why they didn’t let us use mops”
“Reply To Above Comment: I agree, they forced us to use rags”
“If you work at a smaller company in Japan they make you clean the offices too”
“Because slavery is enstilled deep within our society, so thats why everyone thinks its normal”
“It becomes a source of bullying, the bullies will make you clean everything for them”
“I don’t remember ever doing it seriously, the girls would be pissed while I did everything”
“Cause if they hired someone it costs money, if they make the students do it they can use the extra profit they’ve made for the teachers + salary bonuses”
“It was an activity to get you in the habit of cleaning things, it has nothing to do with cost”
“I think they should at least use janitors from high school..”
“There are companies like this, where cleaning the washroom is part of an employment exam. They will not let you use brushes or rags, you clean everything ( even someone else’s feces) with your bare hands,
“They answered this on TV along time ago, it had to do with Japan being a buddhist country”
“Some companies make you clean the workplace before working hours, unpaid of course.
“I think iRobot needs to be brought into every classroom”
“Sense of responsibility? I’m just doing it because its a regulation”
“Those foreign barbarians are at it again, don’t ever come to Japan!”
“I think people need to have the choice of if they want janitors to clean the schools or not. Right now I think kids are made to clean the classrooms because it’s a tradition forced by the older generation”
“As an adult I think it was good education”
“The high school + middle school I attended had special janitors, so everything was always cleaned”
>“Sense of responsibility? I’m just doing it because its a regulation”
Indeed.
Not Japanese but my country has the largely similar system. Never really liked it when I was student.
Dutchfag here, we had to do that as well. With effing brooms. Why didn't they get a damn vacuum cleaner?
It's not cruel.
It's method to teach children to take care of your own place. Responsibility and Discipline.
And children will start to grow fondness to their classroom that way better. Then they will treasure their school memories, especially their classroom that they cleaned isn't it?
>“Aw.I wish we did that over here in america. My elementary school life was boring. You learned and then you went home.” – KittenNyanNyan
I sort of agree. We should do something like this in schools here in the States, but have a balance between student and janitorial cleaning work. Janitors do the more heavy duty cleaning since they get paid for it, and have students do the odd small jobs, like replacing garbage bags, sweeping + mopping after class, etc.
>Then they will treasure their school memories, especially their classroom that they cleaned isn't it?
Well, we certainly didn't do any of that in our school, and I still carry good memories from school, but I can see what you're saying here.
you guys dont know one thing.
Every class, no wonder why, there will be always two or three girls loves cleaning their class room.
I strongly believe that just only showing that those girls are cleaning classroom for their selves, this has very strong messages to all student, what we as a human being, has to keep coorporation, and keep a good sanitary,
I think that is a good thing, to to teach children to take care of your own place.
Here in Italy school is just studying, there aren't even clubs.
And this is bad, not just becouse it's boring, but becouse the students are not interested in the school, for exemple:
New Stupid School Law #59 comes out: the 10% of the students stay at school to protest, the other 90% goes home, why? Becouse there's no interest in the school.
Such nonsense. Rules aren't responsible for education, teachers are.
Japs are really really cruel.