ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VISITS
11/10/08 09:05 Filed in: JET
This
month of October sees me going to several different
elementary schools in Sapporo.
Some are small, some are huge!
But almost all that I’ve been to have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of children enrolled in schools.
I can see this without even the teachers telling me. I saw lots of empty shoe racks for school children right outside of schools.
I spoke to teachers there and they said the number of young people in Japan is decreasing. However the baby boomers of the post world war II era are getting really old. Puts a lot of financial strain on the economy because of the lesser workforce. The Japanese government are also strained because they ust support the many unemployed and retirees. Not to mention their policies of subsidies for healthcare. This is a real problem.
Things will not look so bad if the younger populations are more than the elderly.
You know a good thing about Japan is that, I don’t see any old people working in McDonald’s. Compare that to Singapore. Where the government encourages old people to continue working till they die. In Singapore, its not an uncommon sight to see old people; men and women, so old their bodies are bent and they can no longer stand straight. We see these people pushing carts collecting papers, cardboards, tin cans just to make ends meet.
Unbelievable.
Well, anyway I digress.
Here are pictures of my visits!
INTERNATIONAL REALIZATION CLASSROOM
Students love this room. They got to see pictures, flags, music of other countries.
JAPAN AND SINGAPORE
Kimono and Baju Kurung. I didn't bring kain samping or songkok.
SCHOOL LUNCH
Students pay a fee every month for school lunch. They all have the same food to eat.
I was told by a teacher that the system of “school lunch” goes way back during the post-world war II era when Japan was in dire need for help in rebuilding their country. The UN came up with this system and it has helped the nation tremendously. The school lunch was a success that it continued till this day. I didn’t eat the school because of my religious restrictions. So I brought my own lunch!
EXCHANGING GIFTS
Exchanging gifts; ketupat with Japanese paintings
I weaved the ketupat, since its currently Eidul Fitri this month. Also ketupat weaving is part of the Malay culture. By the way these are the staffs from the huge Elementary school here in Sapporo. Standing next to me i the Principal. He looks like uncle Ben in Spiderman movie.
YAMA
The sky was very cloudy. But you can see the trees on the mountain have turned orange and yellow.
ITS AUTUMN!
Nice cool weather. The whole place looks nice too the surrounding area are seemingly bathed in assorted colors!
I like Autumn. But I still have got to get used to the cold and chilly winds!
Some are small, some are huge!
But almost all that I’ve been to have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of children enrolled in schools.
I can see this without even the teachers telling me. I saw lots of empty shoe racks for school children right outside of schools.
I spoke to teachers there and they said the number of young people in Japan is decreasing. However the baby boomers of the post world war II era are getting really old. Puts a lot of financial strain on the economy because of the lesser workforce. The Japanese government are also strained because they ust support the many unemployed and retirees. Not to mention their policies of subsidies for healthcare. This is a real problem.
Things will not look so bad if the younger populations are more than the elderly.
You know a good thing about Japan is that, I don’t see any old people working in McDonald’s. Compare that to Singapore. Where the government encourages old people to continue working till they die. In Singapore, its not an uncommon sight to see old people; men and women, so old their bodies are bent and they can no longer stand straight. We see these people pushing carts collecting papers, cardboards, tin cans just to make ends meet.
Unbelievable.
Well, anyway I digress.
Here are pictures of my visits!
INTERNATIONAL REALIZATION CLASSROOM
Students love this room. They got to see pictures, flags, music of other countries.
JAPAN AND SINGAPORE
Kimono and Baju Kurung. I didn't bring kain samping or songkok.
SCHOOL LUNCH
Students pay a fee every month for school lunch. They all have the same food to eat.
I was told by a teacher that the system of “school lunch” goes way back during the post-world war II era when Japan was in dire need for help in rebuilding their country. The UN came up with this system and it has helped the nation tremendously. The school lunch was a success that it continued till this day. I didn’t eat the school because of my religious restrictions. So I brought my own lunch!
EXCHANGING GIFTS
Exchanging gifts; ketupat with Japanese paintings
I weaved the ketupat, since its currently Eidul Fitri this month. Also ketupat weaving is part of the Malay culture. By the way these are the staffs from the huge Elementary school here in Sapporo. Standing next to me i the Principal. He looks like uncle Ben in Spiderman movie.
YAMA
The sky was very cloudy. But you can see the trees on the mountain have turned orange and yellow.
ITS AUTUMN!
Nice cool weather. The whole place looks nice too the surrounding area are seemingly bathed in assorted colors!
I like Autumn. But I still have got to get used to the cold and chilly winds!
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