steamrollers...and their place within the system.

Did you know-
no one fails or gets kept back a year in Japanese schools. Is it because the kids are such a hard-working lot that there is never any need to keep a child back to revise the other 75% of the subject matter they didnt manage to absorb through the apparant favoured method of osmosis ?
No. Sad to say it isn't. They aren't hard working- especially not when it comes to a second langauge that they only start learning from first year of Junior High.

But enough of that...back to the kids not getting kept back in schools. So. Lets look at the situation quick.

Students never get kept back in Japanese schools. To my knowledge there is no end of year exams/ finals that are written- other than Junior High -> to Senior High and Senior High to -> University.

The students only motivation becomes getting into the university or particular school. Because once you are there it is smooth sailing.

Now- thats the problem. Unfortunately- it doesnt stop there and creates symptoms which sadly perpetuate the cycle.

Japanese teachers as a result of the system tend to steamroll. In fact I think the concept of a steamroller was first thought out by a Japanese teacher. "Oh if only i could invent a machine that has such ruthless and relentless capabilities that once started would be hard pressed to stop and would crush anything in its way......"
Basically they roll over the syllabus - stopping for breaks only when they feel they need to entertain themselves. Of course- im being horribly unfair- cause my experience is very limited- but ive heard its much of a muchness everywhere.

Very very very frustrating. But more on this later. Just sad really. The country of Japan is just mass producing (semi) literate morons.