Most kids around the world look forward to summer vacation. For most of them, it is the best time of the year. Free from the tiring things in school, listening to the teachers sermon, doing projects and endless homework.
But, not in Japan. Although summer is fun in Japan with so many festivals that you can go and you can even watch fireworks while wearing your yukata (summer kimono), eating kakigori or shave ice, most kids, elementary and junior high school somewhat hate summer.
Why? For one reason. Homework.
And it’s not just a piece of paper with few mathematical problems to solve. It is a set of three to five book/booklets, some of them are inch-thick and most are half-inch thick. It can literally hurt a child’s finger because of doing too much homework.
Japan doesn’t consider summer break a vacation for students. They consider it a time for independent study. For students to study on their own in the convenience of their homes.
Unlike the US and the Philippines, summer vacation in Japan is during school year, not between school year. April is when classes starts and mid-July to August is summer break. Classes resume in September and close in March. Between March and April, they have like a two-week spring break, and that is between grades, when kids don’t get tons of homework like in summer break.
Its not only the students who don’t like summer homework. Somehow, it becomes tedious for parents, too, who, during summer, becomes the “teacher substitute”, reminding their children to keep track of their homework. Parents are also the ones who check their children’s homework. Some parents make the schedule, how many pages a day and how many hours a day should their children dedicate for doing homework.
The most stressful part of summer is the last week, when both parents and children realize that they only have few days to finish a bunch of unfinished homework , including the daily summer diary.
Both Japanese and non-Japanese often discuss about whether this practice of summer homework is good or not. Some say that it’s a good way for training children to become independent and responsible. Some say that it’s too much in a way that it deprives children to enjoy their childhood.
How about you? What’s your take on this?
How do you spend your summer vacation?