Parent / Teacher Conferences

The new school year is a few weeks old in Japan. Teachers and parents get together to talk about each child's education. Much as is done in the States. Except parents do not go to the schools to meet the teachers. Instead, teachers visit the homes of their students to meet their parents.
In the States, parents most often have greater force / power / authority when it comes to their children's upbringing than their teachers. The opposite is true in Japan. Teachers have the right to question parenting styles and act as a greater guide for children.
In the States, you would very easily find parents overly defensive over their children, and even more so, their own parenting style. And parents are quick to judge teachers for their approach to "raising" their kids. Parents are more often allowed to openly question teachers, but the opposite isn't as socially acceptable.

In many respects, Japan places education as a centerpiece of its society. Most students take classes six days a week, have very little time off, and by the time they hit middle school, go to cram schools (juku). Kids attend these cram schools after their regular schools in order to cram as much information into their heads so they can pass entrance exams for high school and college. Where in the States we enjoy 2 months' vacation between school years, students here get a weekend off.
So with this focus on education, elementary and middle school teachers annually visit the homes of all their students. They go to view their students' home lifestyles. They openly examine the "quality" of their home life - quietly rating things such as how clean their houses are and what they eat.
In many respects, I think it makes a great deal of sense, because it gives teachers a much more complete understanding of each student. Teachers can tailor their lessons and curricula with greater knowledge of exactly who their students are. When a student acts out, the teacher can respond in a far more appropriate way, having a greater understanding of the student's general perspective.
During the visits, teachers generally speak with the students' mothers, asking them some private details of their kids' behavior, medical issues, and if there's anything in particular the moms want the teachers to be aware of / look out for.
Trying to picture such a system in America, I can't help but visualize mothers angrily defending their stance and parenting style. "How dare you tell me how to raise my child! Who do you think you are?"

As my time winds down here in Japan (I return States-side July 3), I have some posts planned covering food (MUCH to write there), the convenience stores, driving, and the equivalent of the dollar store.
Stay tuned...