Comments and Questions from Mom

"Hi Janine,I enjoyed the pictures. I thought the subway and train to be very clean. You are having a wonderful time, I see. Seems to me the boy in the subway is playing "hit the dust mote" when he should be standing still. No playing in the subway.

Have you visited a Shinto shrine? Ask your hostess about her religion, if you like. Did you get the email where I asked about school transportation, how reading is taught, and how special ed. is handled? I'm interested in knowing these answers.
Take care, Anna F."

Japan is extremely clean, but it is often difficult to find a trash can...and bathrooms don't have soap most of the time!!!

I have now visited many shrines and temples. In the photo, the structure in the water is called the O-torii Gate, and it sits outside of the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island. This is a Shinto shrine, and it is considered to be one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. What a beautiful place!

I have learned some of the answers to the questions above. First of all, most students walk to school. Today, we met with parent members of the Hiroshima PTA Federation, and they told us they have parent and community volunteers stand out on the streets to patrol while the children walk to and from school. Older students ride bicycles to school. In Tokyo, students use mass transportation. I saw young school children waiting, sometimes alone, for a subway. They wear school uniforms, and can you guess what they do while they wait for their train??? READ!!! And then they read on the train, and some keep reading as they walk out of the station. What a joyful sight to see!

Although we were offered a seminar on special education, I chose to go to one about math. However, I have learned a little bit about special education. Right now, for special education the Japanese have "special support schools," resource rooms in elementary and junior high schools, and some mainstreaming is done. Special or individualized education was only introduced last year. Some autistic students are now going to regular schools, and teachers are just beginning to learn to work with them. Students studying to become teachers now are required to take a class in autism, because, just as in the United States, autism is on the rise. Currently, students who are identified as "intellectually retarded (we don't use this term), autistic, or physically disabled are sent to "special support schools." These schools serve children at kindergarten through senior high school levels, and then there is also a senior training level available. They do not break down the labels beyond "intellectually retarded," and they are just beginning to learn about various disabilities such as dyslexia.

On another note, when we were at Hiroshima University, someone asked about classroom management training. The Japanese professors and student we were talking with weren't sure what we were talking about...because theirs is such a structured and conformist society. This is not to say that they don't have their share of issues - they do. However, they don't deal with classroom management issues the way we do, yet.

I will be visiting schools and observing lessons this week, so I hope to have more to share!

Please share your thoughts and questions!
Janine