A major problem now is that there are children who have shut themselves in at home. We hope to give them an opportunity to take a step forward toward the future.

There should be no tolerance for missing class. I think in the US a court can force all kinds of actions that the kid will find unpleasant. Either way they will be getting the social interaction they need.

quote: I think in the US a court can force all kinds of actions that the kid will find unpleasant.

And you think that creates happy, well-rounded, well-adjusted members of society?

Amazing how many people think punishment is the way to make a better person.

There should be no tolerance for missing class. I think in the US a court can force all kinds of actions that the kid will find unpleasant. Either way they will be getting the social interaction they need.

What if the children who don’t want to go to school suffer from social anxiety or are being bullied relentlessly?

And you think that creates happy, well-rounded, well-adjusted members of society?

And your solution would be?…..

So we should just give in to the child’s demands because they’re having a fit?

What if the children who don’t want to go to school suffer from social anxiety or are being bullied relentlessly?

There are options or counseling that the child can receive, there is help out there to evaluate as to what would be a better option. Japan in this regard is still behind other many other countries when dealing with that particular situation, but it has improved some, although limited, you do have a few options.

There are some alternatives for children unwilling to attend a regular school. Like free schools where there is less pressure and less structure. But there are very few of them.

The kids learned early that avoidance is the go-to problem-solving strategy in Japan.

There is also the possibility of homeschooling.

Punishing these children rarely works.

A. S. Neill was a Scottish educator and author known for his school, Summerhill, and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion and community self-governance.

A.S. Neill Summerhill School

https://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/

And your solution would be?…..

As the article from which the quote comes, this is not a duality between forcing the children or doing nothing about it. Following the advice of professional educators, psychologist, etc. Is much better than arbitrary punishment and dismissing the children problems as a default.

GBR48Today 08:35 am JST

quote: I think in the US a court can force all kinds of actions that the kid will find unpleasant.

And you think that creates happy, well-rounded, well-adjusted members of society?

We're not even talking imprisonment here, although I think that should be on the table. If kids hide from the world at 16, what makes you think they will be out there being productive at 30?

Compulsory and free education is only until 15 years.

what makes you think they will be out there being productive at 30?

Mostly the professional opinion of people that treat these kind of problems and say the patients can be reincorporated to society in a productive way if properly managed instead just punished to make adult feel better by using their authority.

Poor parenting leading to weak minded children unable to face the world so the solution is to wrap them in even more cotton wool? Its OK kids, the solution to your problems is to hide from the world...

virusrexToday 01:00 pm JST

what makes you think they will be out there being productive at 30?

Mostly the professional opinion of people that treat these kind of problems and say the patients can be reincorporated to society in a productive way if properly managed instead just punished to make adult feel better by using their authority.

I've seen what these professionals can do and it is limited to the willingness of the person in question. Going to school is not punishment and the kids will survive being compelled to do so.

I've seen what these professionals can do and it is limited to the willingness of the person in question

So what? that still means they can become productive with proper treatment, this still contradicts your false dichotomy.

Going to school is not punishment and the kids will survive being compelled to do so.

Again, if the best professionals on the field say proper treatment is better on what authority can you claim they are wrong?

No truancy laws in Japan? Then again, with how stifling and rigorous the school system is, I'm not surprised Japanese kids are refusing to go. Are they alternatives to public school in Japan that are affordable? I'd suggest homeschooling but considering the equally stifling and rigorous work environment, I doubt parents will have time to homeschool their kids or even make it back home at a decent hour.

So we should just give in to the child’s demands because they’re having a fit?

Some kids just can't manage school, especially if they have something like autism, or anxiety disorder. Forcing them to go simply makes it worse, and may scar them for life. As adults, we tend to think "just go to school," but the world looks very different to a child, especially if they have pre-existing conditions.

Japan in this regard is still behind other many other countries when dealing with that particular situation

From personal friends' experience it's actually pretty good. All schools seem to have counselors, extra classes where needed, and many now allow online learning and will let children attend for only part of the day. Plus, they will refer kids to doctors/psychologists/psychiatrists where needed (three of my friends have done this, with good results).

For what it's worth, my take on the matter is that education is very important, and kids definitely should go to school if they can, but sometimes they just can't. In such cases, we have to accept that, and try and educate them as best we can, even if it's far from perfect.

So we should just give in to the child’s demands because they’re having a fit?

No, of course not. It's a complex situation that require nuanced responses, which literally takes pages to describe, and years of study to know about.

But of course armchair experts on JT want to boil it down in to a simplistic black or white 'it's easy, you just....' answer that doesn't exist in the real world.