Education

The Standardization of Japanese Schools

by

Ma Dugong introduced in an issue that schools are standardized to improve the minimum standards of schools. At least, the food in the school cafeteria is not easily criticized. This reminds gledos that the schools in Japanese works have a very high degree of similarity, which shows that Japanese primary and secondary schools are unexpectedly standardized?

In The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Haruhi Suzumiya tried to draw a ground painting to contact aliens on the school playground when she was a child. The tool she used was called a line car (ラインカー), which can use calcium carbonate powder to draw runways. Because Japanese primary and secondary schools are paved with soil or fine sand on the playground, such equipment is needed.

In works involving enrollment, there will be a white sign with “Entrance Ceremony” written on it at the school gate. At graduation, the graduation certificate will be rolled up and placed in a dark tube. These entrance and graduation activities are basically held in the indoor gymnasium.

According to Article 10 of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s 『小学校設置基準』, elementary schools should have (indoor) gymnasiums, unless local conditions or other factors limit the establishment of gymnasiums. Of course, there is also the infirmary that was introduced before, and the school swimming pool that often appears in the works, which together form the Japanese campus familiar to ACG fans.

As of 2021, 87% of elementary schools and 65% of junior high schools in Japan have outdoor swimming pools, which is a very high proportion. However, this is not a facility stipulated in the 『小学校設置基準』, but in the 『学習指導要領』, the curriculum requires teaching swimming and other sports.

Such standardized school facilities and some of the same culture make Japanese schools more equal. Specifically, financially relying on transfer payments and other means to make the financial distribution of schools in rural and urban areas in Japan more balanced. And the teacher rotation system makes the level of teachers equal. And the standardization of infrastructure mentioned above makes the infrastructure of schools not lack or too bad, which makes Japanese primary and secondary schools realize equalization of basic education.

Enjoyable Sports

by

In 1890 , Emperor Meiji of Japan issued the 『教育ニ関スル勅語』 (Imperial Rescript on Education) , which stated that studying should be for the sake of the imperial family and the nation , and sports training was of course the same.

During World War II , the 『国民学校令施行規則』 (Enforcement Regulations for the National School Order) stipulated that the purpose of physical training courses was to “strengthen the body , cultivate a broad-minded , strong body and mind , and cultivate the practical ability to be loyal and dedicated”.

After World War II , due to the militaristic tendencies of sports training , some sports with strong military elements were temporarily prohibited , such as Kendo , Judo , Naginata , and Kyudo. Later , the 『学校体育指導要綱』 (School Physical Education Guidance Outline) formulated a new sports objective: “Education to plan human development through the practice of sports and hygiene”.

However , although the ideal was good , the reality was that the state took priority. For example , in order to prepare for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games , football was included in sports in 1956 , and related training focused on efficiency rather than fun. Perhaps many people at that time never felt happy playing sports.

In the 1970s , fewer and fewer students participated in sports clubs , and clubs lacking personnel also suffered from the crisis of being abolished. The Ministry of Education , which manages education , finally proposed a new policy: enjoyable sports. After that , sports clubs in many schools became more entertainment-oriented and less stressful. This is also the state of the clubs presented in many Japanese anime works.

P.S.: Inspiration and some information come from the book “Naming Japan” <2.6 Sports Teach People Badly? – Misguided Youth Development in Japan>.

Edutainment, Part 1: Minecraft

by

In November 2011, a small team of educators and programmers obtained authorization from Mojang to develop MinecraftEdu. MinecraftEdu is actually a lazy pack with Forge, which contains various functions suitable for courses. This is completely in the graphical menu configuration, without configuration files or command lines.

Later, even a customized version of ComputerCraft, ComputerCraftEdu, was built in. This version specifically added visual programming and turtle graphics functions, so you can learn programming in the game.

However, using MinecraftEdu requires purchasing a license, but fortunately the price is half the original price of Minecraft. For teaching software, it is not expensive. Educational institutions need to purchase a license for each computer in the classroom ($14), and each computer classroom may need a server license ($41). Assuming there are 50 computers in the computer room, the price is 50 × 14 + 41 = $741.

Perhaps out of the selfish motive of promoting the game, after purchasing MinecraftEdu, it will come with the original Minecraft license (you have to start playing Minecraft from a young age). This also gave some players who are greedy for cheap opportunities. Some people disguised themselves as educational institutions, ordered low-priced licenses, and resold them to players in need.

In November 2016, Mojang recovered the authorization from the group and stopped the development of Java-based MinecraftEdu. Because Mojang used the Bedrock version to develop Minecraft: Education Edition to replace MinecraftEdu (later renamed Minecraft Education). Perhaps afraid of being exploited, the fee model was changed to a subscription system ($5/year), and the original game license was no longer included.

These educational versions of Minecraft have been in development and should be considered a successful project. For students and teachers, interesting games are not boring, which is a perfect win-win situation.

The Sunny and Cheerful Kong Yiji

by

In March 2023, the “Kong Yiji Literature” became popular on mainland social media. This is a way for young people to ridicule and vent their feelings with statements such as “education is the long gown that Kong Yiji cannot take off”, expressing their low and confused emotions of “graduation equals unemployment”.

On March 16, 2023, CCTV.com published an article entitled “Facing the Anxiety Behind ‘Kong Yiji Literature'”, which mentioned:

The reason why Kong Yiji fell into the predicament of life is not because he had studied, but because he could not let go of the airs of a scholar and was unwilling to change his situation through labor. The long gown is clothing, but also a shackle in the heart.

Obtaining education through studying can… see a broader world, instead of dividing people into different classes and setting rules and regulations for themselves, making education a “long gown” that restricts their hands and feet.

Finally, two graduates from double first-class universities were given as examples of working as cleaners in hot pot restaurants.

As a result, this incident became a hot topic, making the topic of Kong Yiji even more lively. Then, Bilibili user “Gui Shan Ge” released an incomplete version of “The Sunny and Cheerful Kong Yiji” on March 23, 2023.

Then the full version was released on the 25th. The introduction to the incomplete version is: Sell songs and earn some medical expenses, otherwise I can’t even afford to see a doctor. Then the author posted photos of infusions and hospital payments on Bilibili, and said that he had earned more than 1,000 yuan (Bilibili advertising sharing plan).

However, quickly on the evening of March 25, Gui Shan Ge was banned for 15 days, and his two “The Sunny and Cheerful Kong Yiji” videos were deleted.

Source material can be found at ggame.