Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

Pat* 10. Ttx* L»*U. On-mhrr 6. IVU
PROFILES.
Tradition is an integral part of Japanese education
Bj Era Fata
Imagine a KIUO) *^t
denu stand and bow lojtcihcr »hcn
tta teacher walk* into a cUmroum;
a Khuo! whrre. irw hi society"* hierarchy,
each etiu wean a different
p*ir of i-uaii ihoes; i Khool whrir
the student* muu cJur.ge from MTCCI
slices iuto school tennis shoes heforc
cncrriPg she school building.
What other ttxiMry be«ides Japan
could M> neatl} iiiegiate such trjditios
aad onJe.* into the cla«raom?
TSi idmM described K Nanryu High
Schoul ir. Sapporo, which I anended
during toy stay in Ixpra tart wimnvr.
Mc» of the itudenu, at Manr>o had
(•ever hxl «xrjrt with a troe-'-vIite
Wcitcnw b.'ut. aid the impuct I
h*i on the Khont for the Tint few
G*yh wu» anat^^f JS to in all**! friwn
M*rs arriving jt Ltv*«.l.
In adchuo.. lo bcinj resident celebrity,
apd naVnjspcecbt*beforeihc
enure KuJent body (traulatct* fcy an
E l cacbci), I also helped ie.»ch
%h clifc*. anJ s>cnt noun
p jbout the difference be
r*ecn J^CMIKK AMI A.ncnean aiea-
Fcr example. strictly on the m-indane
level, in laptn, high school student*
stay in the umc ctauruom all
day for tiwir academic wbjecta. and
the teacher* RO frutn dais tft class.
Jap«Nc»c KQOIU din have • *u tmditiocuj
event* iralikc anything at
Lowell. One event, the school festival,
lasts atou three day*, duing
which dl daws arc cancelled. Students
fiwn CJch homcrtkvii dncoratr
their room c!ahorMdy and WM up
umethtns ta attract other students to
come in O*ich as i cafe, a ionuor tdt*
lag booch. a picture pilcry, cr a rock
concert. feitLiing their own
The othrr event it the one cUy
"«:ho«>l athletic meeting," tn *hi:h
the clauet. clad in co|fr.
Unifomu are required at all
sctools in Jxpvi, even fobltc whools.
GtrU arc tint talk>wnl tn wear ca.iingi
or picicc their can. Nanr>"'» P" n *
cipal captained that Ac purnmc of the
uniform is to create pride fur onc*»
high school and to eradicate ihc i-ppearaok-c
of ecoo»m^ di(fercm.««
among uuJcnti.
In addition, in J jpin there U much
tmtrc iinportance pLiccd on the gnwp
thin on the ind.vidiul. and Che u:iift>rm
i\ ui outfroMih of thw cultural
charaoerutic.
Japanese Uudcnts have a five mrd
a half day school %cei, *iih »wly
Sundays off. and a Minmcr vacation
that UiU h>rci) * month. If one
bclorjt* to i spoiu team ^called
' clut>" in Japwi). hand, or any c* >^
CJUracuiricular activity, for^t iC*«t
an>- lime cnity admiukKU process.
Rut this lack of leiuire tune u not
what Jirpancsc studcr^s complain
about the mou. Por Jafnncu- midenu.
the grueling univenity enuartcc
juuni CWJW: the greater
source of dread and require endtcw
noun of preparation.
school Uo^cnU eleao*op the buHdlng,
A* Ed*in O. Rciwluucr put it tn
hi* hook. Tiv Japaw.ie. " • • • ihc
ruthlcM. one-thot %Ttnuwe examinations
arc convention at its worv and
c^M a *hadow far in advance, wttjecting
the ttudcii to severe, prwwirr*
through mint if hi* •crwling -»r*l
e%en distorting- the content of hb
Once a vtuderri ha* Ivcn jvepted
to the prc*ttj(i(X> itnivcrvt) which
will c*r\c ihc itikicnl'i fjth to *uccevt.
he lindt Out h it rcUii\cly c*\y
tngrjdiuic. Theum*ci»it> yejf^arc
often ipent nv>rc in icbelIi.Hi» partyttif
than in itudyini;. «.ontnQ' to the
American \>\tem.
The cunt* are given in about cipht
different vubject^. inc.'udini: one'*
proouhlc major. The fc'r.plivh exam,
uiiich aucn Mich ahun»c and mirui'.c
gnuTmaiLal jx»int3 thai a nititc
ipejLrr would have difficult) pawinjt
it. » ironically lite vourcc of the
low level of b'n^lUh jpcaVinp «nJ
ijwnprcri^Asioo tn J^p^n. tmprL»M% in
English claisci » on gramnuliol
strucntfc. and to tof> it off. few
teacher* actually tpcak ihe
*ith any degnx of fluency.
Yet lhis pedantic and dull approach
to the teaching of the Engltih language
certainly docs not inhib:: the
typica' Japane.e student * avid intcrer.
and favcinatitm with the overglorirtcd
American lulturc.
To many of the Japane.tr student*
I spoke v* ith. America IH the (and of
the free, ihc Lind of the Jane; party,"
the Ur»d uf Durjn Dunn, the
land vhc*";" ocry Kirl hav j Un
friend, and Ihc land where iecru|!cr%
live a careKe. pjr.y-ftHcd life.
i
•>,!)?
Studrnte excUnee their \lrcrt «hoc» for lsbfvl Irnri*
The t-owrli reporter's diploma received from Nanyo Iligh School.
Casl
doi
sch<
2,500-year-old Greek educational system stands firm
Bjr Dean Puilalddk-
Grcdj have long Ireaiurcd education as a (auage of HKIII
iTKiility miut way to achieve nalioiul progrcu.
The impcttince of a Tine education to the Qnc\ people dales
back to 387 B.C.. when Plato, the brilliant Greek philosopher
established the first known university. ThU university, whirh he
named the Acaderny, continued to operalnl until 529 A.D.
. The rooJrm rcvhal of education began in the 18th cenniry under
inc Oaoman rule and played a vital role in ttimubtinp the dairc
for asional independence. Alter independence the Mjlc adopted
the principle of (ice. cornpubory. public education.
Greek children begin their education at the ije of six with the
first grade. After »i* yarn of elementary school, they move on
lo secondary Khool. It i- divulcd iulo two succcsiivc three-year
cycles, the gymnasium and the Lykiot
Pirsx grade through the gymnasium (nine years) makes up
Creccc'i compulsory education. If a student chooses to continue
toLykion. he taut pas> a difficult, comprehensive te« by the
government.
Lykkm h my difficult. >t the end of each year, students take
* very difficult final exam oil every subject nfcen dining the year.
if tks scJent fa.1l M exam, he has the opportunity to take :t again
at th= enj of summer (August). If he fails again. IK must rr'jkc
the coarse.
About two weeks after e»ms. a third year Lykion student takes
another set of extremity difficult exams to enter a university.
To prepare for Uicic exuni. which are crucial for university entrance
third year Lykion stndem are tcjsrated into five branches,
roor of these bruncha ha"e certain courses for various fields of
. study. For example, the »xnd b; inch's courses include Physics.
Chemistry. Biology, and Modem Creek. This is o hranch Uul
students interested in medicine usually pursue. The fifth branch
is for students who don't want to go on to a university.
Each day a third year Lykion student not only has lo spend four
hours of clan.lime in his branch, but also another two houi-s of
class time taking general requirements.
If is a combination of a student's branch test scores and grudes
received through the Lykion yon Uut are the basis of a student's
university acceptance. Before taking the branch exams, students
fill out an application indicating their first through fifth choice of
a university.
Greece has several main uni.crsitics in Alhcn: Salonika Pairas
loanmna. and Komiti. There arc over r> duicn other universities!
each specialuing in a »epjn-tc field.
There are few private elementary schools and no private univci-
Mties. It is only at the secondary level that pitvate institutions arc
w'ldesrr^ad rd.
Because of Greece's extremely difficult educational system
private tutors arc almost a must for Greek children. Fortunately
tutors are not very expensive in Greece, and most students arc tble
to hire a tutor for each subject in which help is needed
Many educators consider the Grek d i l
he has been in school for the same amount o." time
^ T ^ 1 ** * i"* 8 " 1h! di ' ta £
amerkl bill*
Lords'
in tK US
rich, pemerf
This ktcu
Horatio
riches" intht
usu in uV c>t
studenud" n
to move up in
^radtrar of Atbcns. the lancot m4.»•? Popular Gmk nnlttrsll