特集：学級崩壊

小学校なぜ荒れる 軽くなった学校の存在

• 特集 [とくしゅう] /feature (e.g. newspaper)/special edition/report/
• 学級 [がっきゅう] /grade in school/
• 崩壊 [ほうかい] /collapse (vs)/decay (physics)/
• 荒れる [あれる] /to be stormy/to be rough/to lose one's temper/wild/
• 担任 [たんにん] /in charge (of something)/
• 反抗 [はんこう] /opposition/resistance/insubordination/defiance/hostility/rebellion/
• 私語 [しご] /talking about personal unrelated class matters in class/
• 立ち歩み
• ままならない /unable to have one's way with/
• 実態 [じったい] /truth/fact/
• 背景 [はいけい] /background/scenery/setting/circumstance/
• 探る [さぐる] /to search/to look for/to sound out/
• The phenomena of the collapse of schools is spreading across the country. Lots of people are resistant to the teacher in charge, talking about unrelated matters in class, and walking around in class, (it isn't class?) People are not acting in school like one would expect. When did this phenomena begin to occur? Where, and to what degree does it occur? I looked for the truth about the wild behavior of children, and the scenery around it.

授業面白く、定員減らせ

• 定員 [ていいん] /regular staff/
• 減らす [へらす] /to decrease (vi)/to diminish/to shorten/
• 惚け [ぼけ] /idiot/fool/to grow senile/
• 暴言 [ぼうげん] /violent (abusive) language/
• 幼い [おさない] /very young/childish/
• 一層 [いっそう] /much more/still more/all the more/
• 深刻 [しんこく] /serious/
• 描く [えがく] /to draw/to paint/to sketch/to depict/to describe/
• 独特 [どくとく] /peculiarity/uniqueness/characteristic/
• 児童 [じどう] /children/juvenile/
• 信頼 [しんらい] /reliance (vs)/trust/confidence/
• 根こそぎ [ねこそぎ] /from the bottom/root up/
• 覆る [くつがえる] /to topple over/to be overturned/to capsize/be overwhelmed/
• 危機 [きき] /crisis/
• ひんした /on the verge/
• 判で押したような [はんでおしたような] /similar/alike/
• 用紙 [ようし] /blank form/
• 破る [やぶる] /to tear (vt)/to violate/to defeat/to smash/to destroy/
• Summary: With just a small warning the students return with the violent words like "Shut up" "Senile" "Shit hag" and the like. The childish kids that remain in elementary school lose their self-confidence (because of the other students?), hurting the teacher even more. (?) The reason that the collapse of schools is important is because, as illustrated in the short novel "24 pupils (of eyes)", the characteristic trust between the students and teacher peculiar to elementary school will be overturned. Classes that are on the verge of the disaster of destruction look like they are wild. Any number of people walk around during class, rip up tests, sing songs, talk away from their chairs in loud voices with friends, sometimes start fights with people from other classes...

揺らぐ教室文化

• 揺らぐ [ゆらぐ] /to swing/to sway/to shake/to tremble/
• 嘆く [なげく] /to sigh/to lament/to grieve/
• 以前 [いぜん] /ago/since/before/previous/
• 校長 [こうちょう] /principal/headmaster/
• シャンとなる /become despondant/
• 素直 [すなお] /obedient (an)/meek/docile/unaffected/
• 力量 [りきりょう] /ability/physical strength/capacity/tact/
• 熱意 [ねつい] /zeal/enthusiasm/
• 通用 [つうよう] /popular use (vs)/circulation/
• 首都圏 [しゅとけん] /the Tokyo area (within 50 KM of Tokyo's center)/
• 新興 [しんこう] /rising/developing/emergent/
• 妨害 [ぼうがい] /disturbance/obstruction/hindrance/jamming/
• 年配 [ねんぱい] /elderly (a-no)/
• 休職 [きゅうしょく] /temporary retirement/suspension from office/
• 講師 [こうし] /lecturer/
• 途中 [とちゅう] /on the way/
• 進行 [しんこう] /advance/
• 進級 [しんきゅう] /promotion (school)/
• Summary: Principle Beteran at an elementary school in Tokyo complains "Before, when a teacher gave a warning to a student, the kid would become despondent. But now, nobody will meekly listen to us anymore." Able and zealous teachers are not necessarily usual. Even classes (taught by people) with lots of experience in their 40s and 50s are wild, and the classes become out of control. (The setting is) A school in the newly developed areas of Tokyo. In a class of five year students, classroom troubles are starting, the students chase their teacher into early retirement, and hit the next substitute teacher (while he is on the way) and (break promises in front of three people?) Lately, teachers have stopped teaching at the same school in succeeding years, and the number of schools that can only keep a teacher for one year has increased. During the time when they are promoting the trouble in schools there are even (people) who stopped eating (??).
• 一斉 [いっせい] /simultaneous/all at once/
• 方式 [ほうしき] /form/method/system/
• 教科書 [きょうかしょ] /text book/
• 自席 [じせき] /one's seat/one's desk/
• 姿勢 [しせい] /attitude/posture/
• 発言 [はつげん] /utterance/speech/proposal/
• 規律 [きりつ] /order/rules/law/
• 躾 [しつけ] /home discipline/training/upbringing/breeding/
• 母子 [ぼし] /mother and child/
• 分離 [ぶんり] /separation/detachment/
• 幼稚園 [ようちえん] /kindergarten/
• 段階 [だんかい] /gradation/grad/stage/
• 自制 [じせい] /self control/self restraint/
• 刺激的 [しげきてき] /stimulating/
• 漫画 [まんが] /comic/cartoon/
• 在り来たり [ありきたり] /common/ordinary (an)/
• 退屈 [たいくつ] /tedium (an) (vs)/boredom/
• 指導 [しどう] /leadership (vs)/guidance/coaching/
• Summary: Ever since the Meiji era all Japanese schools adopted the (same) education system at the same time. All staff started to use the same text books and teach the same material. The traditional style was supported by having to sit with proper posture during class, quietly listen the teacher, talk when called on, and those sorts of rules. The rules were protected by the (not small number) of 40 people that maintained the system. (?) Through the destruction of the school system the 100 year old "classroom culture" has become unstable. Why do students not sit quietly? There are many different opinions at this school. The upbringing at home is not good enough. Kids have become self-centered. It doesn't go well when kids are separated from their mothers. Kids that think they will be allowed to do anything. Kids that graduate from kindergarten, and see that individuality is respected too much, and they don't learn to respect the rules. As I thought, the number of teachers whose leadership is bad isn't small...
• 気軽 [きがる] /cheerful/buoyant/lighthearted/
• 信仰 [しんこう] /(religious) faith (vs)/belief/creed/
• 似る [にる] /to resemble/to be similar/
• 薄い [うすい] /thin/weak/watery/diluted/
• 疑い [うたがい] /doubt/question/uncertainty/skepticism/suspicion/distrust/
• 信動
• 少子 [しょうこ] /Shouko (f)/
• 登校 [とうこう] /attendance (at school) (vs)/
• 登校拒否 [とうこうきょひ] /truancy/
• 年月 [としつき] /months and years/
• 根ざす [ねざす] /to come from/to have roots in/
• Summary: They all a correct a bit. But that is not enough to explain it fully. A more important factor is, probably, compared to before, school has become carefree. Something you hear a lot from teachers in elementary and middle school is that there are lots of people who are excused from school by their parents for reasons like "Family ski trips" and the like. There are not people that have suspicion about (thinly veiled) suspicious fevers, and believe that the kid should not go anywhere. (?? Really paraphrased.) We have been able to see this change in middle and elementary students since about the past ten years. Within these past few years, instead of (kids getting more) advanced, the number of kids that have been truant from school has been on the rise. The collapse of schools, just like truancy, is best looked at with an eye rooted in the Japanese education system.

学校公開も大切

• 公開 [こうかい] /presenting to the public (vs)/
• 価値 [かち] /value/worth/merit/
• こだわる /to fuss over/to be particular about/to be concerned about/
• 要領よく [ようりょうよく] /shrewd/cunning/
• 風潮 [ふうちょう] /tide/current/tendency/
• 背後 [はいご] /back/rear/
• うねり /wave motion/undulation/winding/heaving sea/swell/roller/
• 一筋縄ではないかない [ひとすじなわではないかない] /It is very difficult to do/
• 現職 [げんしょく] /present condition/
• 掛ける [かける] /to wear/to put on/to hang/to begin to (aux)/to cover/to make a phone call/to multiply/to sit down/to turn on (a switch)/to play (a record)/to pour (water)/
• 従う [したがう] /to obey/to follow/to accompany/
• 技量 [ぎりょう] /ability/competency/
• 開示 [かいじ] /disclosure (legal)/
• 助言 [じょげん] /advice/suggestion/
• 改める [あらためる] /to change/to alter/to reform/to revise/
• 先決 [せんけつ] /previous decision/
• Summary: The individual is more important than the group. People are particular about "My own value." The tendency is for people to act cunning more than work hard. Behind the educational system is the large wave (cyclic?) motion that wraps around (encompases?) all of society. It clearly points out the question that isn't it easy for the school system to break down? (Tokyo big arts) Kobayasi (some sort of assistant teacher?) responds to our consultation about the current complaints of teachers. Troubles teachers come with telephones. (???) "Kids don't obey what we say anymore." (Assistant teacher of some sort) Kobayasi advises that we should open up the information and respond with great effort to the individual because in the collapse of schools there are aspects where the kids are more skilled than the teacher and are bored. One of the minuses in Kobayasi's case is that Kobayasi must be in charge of school work and the lifestyle of the students. When he tries to do something through his own power, it is like it has been decided in advance that he has the will to try to change the entire school system for of the country. (?) It is also important to show to parents the true state of children by open houses at the schools. (I think.)

工夫もっと必要

• 工夫 [くふう] /device/scheme (vs)/Think about a lot of stuff and find the best way/
• 占める [しめる] /to comprise/to hold/to occupy/
• 一向 [ひたすら] /earnestly/
• 限界 [げんかい] /limit/bound/
• 目を輝かせる [めをかがやかせる] /to become interested in/to become excited about/
• 教材 [きょうざい] /teaching materials/
• 改善 [かいぜん] /betterment (vs)/improvement/
• 急ぐ [いそぐ] /to hurry/to rush/
• 主体 [しゅたい] /subject/main constituent/
• 転換 [てんかん] /convert/divert/
• 浸透 [しんとう] /permeation/osmosis/
• 体験 [たいけん] /personal experience (vs)/
• 従来 [じゅうらい] /up to now/so far/traditional/
• Summary: School life includes about 70-80% of the time spent in classes. We clearly have come to the limit of classes where students listen earnestly. Students don't really respond to teaching materials that used to put a twinkle in past student's eyes. (Ways to) interesting and easily understandably improve classes must be quickly found. In the past few years in the education world, because of the famous new school power point of view the transition of students to subject classes (? classes on a particular class that interests them?) is praised. However, half of the voices calling out have not permeated into the teacher's rooms. The increase of models of class participation and real life experience class and the like points to plans (thoughts and schemes) of the future.
• おくせず /to not be afraid/
• 多様 [たよう] /diversity/variety/
• 絵 [え] /picture/drawing/painting/sketch/
• 特色 [とくしょく] /characteristic/feature/
• 居心地がいい [いいごくちがいい] /to be comfortable/
• 教科 [きょうか] /subject/curriculum/
• 枠 [わく] /frame/slide/
• 取り払う [とりはらう] /remove/take away/
• 総合的 [そうごうてき] /synthetic/
• 現況 [げんきょう] /present condition/
• 有効 [ゆうこう] /validity (an)/availability/effectiveness/
• 取り巻く [とりまく] /to surround/to circle/to enclose/
• 環境 [かんきょう] /environment/circumstance/
• 空間 [あきま] /vacant room/
• ゆとり /reserve/affluence/room/time (to spare)/
• 行き届く [ゆきとどく] /to be scrupulous/to be attentive/to be prudent/to be complete/to be thorough/
• 背を向ける
• Summary: Even those children have many good points. They have their own opinions, and are not afraid to give reports and presentations in class. They have interesting hearts (spirits?) and interests, and there is much diversity. There are also people with superior ability in arts and music. If classes that draw on these characteristics are increased, then maybe class will become a comfortable place. This might become the trigger for removing the framework of classes that use (standardized) text books and change the present situation into one with "Synthetic practice." More effective than anything is the reduction of school's regular staff. Since becoming the current "40 people" nearly 20 years (ago) the environment wrapped up in school has really changed. (There are empty rooms each person should prudently educate. ??????) It is the road to not increasing the number of students that had been ignored before. (?)