The K Experience

Futako Recreation Day

Past - Japan

Monday, 05 May 2008

It's been a while now, about 4 years, since I last taught students in Japan. Not sure if any of them remember me, but I do like to look back at my old pictures and reminisce. Every year, at Futako (short for Futagami Kogyo Koukou, the name of the school), there was a recreation day, where the kids would do nothing butplay games and have fun. They would play sports like football (Soccer), basket ball, handball, and boardgames like Othello. I took it as an opportunity to take some snaps of the students while not in school lesson mode, which was a rare occasion for me...

Although, I have written about some aspects of the school already, this is the first entry I have written on the actual students. I wanted this to be the first, just so I could show how great they could be. Not that they were a group of evil, vindictive, delinquents or anything (at least not that I know of), but school has a way of ...how shall I put it...conditioning students, and some don't take very kindly to it. It affects some more than others, but it happens all the same. And don't get me wrong, it's not just in Japan that it happens. After teaching and observing schools in a few other countries (Israel, Ghana, UK, USA), I can say that it's pretty much the same everywhere you go. However, there was one thing in common with all the countries I have been able to see, and that is a Western Education system. Funny ay? In the UK, and USA obviously, and Israel, I'm sure you can all understand. But it's in Japan and Ghana too. I can't actually say that it is this that is causing the effects, as I have not seen any other/different education systems, but that's just what I have noticed, and experienced.

Anyway, while teaching in Japan, and seeing how the students were in the classroom, (of which I will share in another entry), it was nice to see the students in a different light.

I had seen them play sports many times, but today was a little different. They were more relaxed, there was no pressure. The students chose whatever activity they wanted to take part in, and they did it. I'm not sure, but I think they were allowed to change activities midway too. While some students were busy at volleyball and badminton in one gym, other played basketball in another. While some played handball outside in the field being watched by spectators, there were groups of students indoors playing boardgames and cards.

It was a pretty cool day. I took as many snaps as I could. Some students and teachers where only too happy to have their pictures taken, and some were not.

Many of the students just wanted to relax, and just take time out from what would otherwise have been a pretty hectic day of classes, after-school clubs, and then probably more study after the clubs. And relaxing was OK. However, each had their own way of relaxing, which sometimes involved a bit of tomfoolery.