Education minister meets bullying victims

We are now trying our best to create an environment in which young people feel they can talk to someone about these problems and receive support.

Yea, I'm sure that made these kids feel better.

“We are now trying our best to create an environment in which young people feel they can talk to someone about these problems and receive support.”

What a pussy answer. Maybe a better question would be. "would you force your daughter to go to school if she was being bullied?"

What the Japanese Education Ministry needs to do is implement Bully- Prevention Programs comprehensively in ALL curriculums from Kindergarten to High School. ......................It's imperative that 'bullying be systematically stigmatized . .............teacher and Administrations must openly address it. . . . .SECONDLY . . . .Bulling needs to be penalized; and in cases of assault ( hitting, punching) criminal charges must be paid o nthe perpetrators. ......................................

GTO wouldn't have these problems.

Get the principal and vice-principals away from their desks and in the halls and playgrounds while the teachers take a break between classes is the first step. Then, assign the teachers to a classroom so there is ownership of the room. The students need to change rooms so the teacher is always present. The USA does have some positive aspects to it daily school schedule. Adopt a "mobile day-care" in every room. Any student using the mobile must submit the phone to the teacher for the remaining time. Tell PTA that it does not control the school and that MODERN schools are not going to be the same as they were for grandparents and parents. Finally, spend some money on professional growth. Send some teachers and administrators to the USA and Europe. Those countries don't have all the answers, but at least the administrators and teachers can consider something different.

I think it is a good step from government but still need a lot to do.

Last Friday I had a chance to ask a question "How to prevent bullying at school level" with University students, teacher and others. I was so shocked by the answer instead they talked about the solution their answer was "prevention is not possible. It is difficult". Not a single person was ready to think about prevention then how come we can expect something from Government?

Preventive methods should be started from home(parents) school (as some user have mentioned) then society.

Full marks to noriyosan73 for those concrete suggestions. Far too many people are content to answer questions about social issues with: "We must think about this question." Bullying has been a social issue in Japan for as long as I can remember, yet successive governments and educators have failed to implement effective strategies to combat it. It can only be assumed that, as is often the case, policy change plays second fiddle to greed and saving face.

In addition to what Noriyoshisan said, have tougher penalties for the bullies, possibly more liability for the parents of the bullies.

Like it or not prevention starts at home. School's, teachers, etc etc etc, are a part of the problem (and solution), yes, but both the problem and solutions start at home.

"Let's just ignore bullying and sweep it under the rug because it's none of our business. If kids get bullied, then it's their problem."

I'm with noriyasan on this one. This is simply a PR stunt, with absolutely no help at all to the victims save that they have had a chance to voice their concerns. Hirano saying, "We're doing our best" while doing nothing really is just that... nothing. I'm sure he threw in a 'ganbare' and 'please understand' as well. And what is it exactly the government is doing?

Did he also meet with the bullies?

If he didn't, it's rather meaningless, isn't it?

Yubaru: evidently you are not a parent - and have no idea what is happening i n the real world............................ No matter how well brought up a kid is different social realities create pressures where kids get stimatized& victimized ............................................ Even the kids who don't engage - are caught because they do not know what to do. ......................THE EDUCATION SYSTEM needs to confront reality and take this on aggressively.................................. In the Canada - a very graciously mult-cultural country - bullying is widespread. ....................... However , we have seen i n the School Districts and schools where bullying is addressed, and penalized there is a substantail decrease in this social pathology among youth.

Yubaru: evidently you are not a parent - and have no idea what is happening i n the real world............................ No matter how well brought up a kid is different social realities create pressures where kids get stimatized& victimized .

I have three children, and I have taught in ES, JHS, and HS in BOTH the US and Japan. My comments come from experience, not out of my arse.

I would say that to assume something you dont know would be wrong.

Even the kids who don't engage - are caught because they do not know what to do.

Hence the need for parents to BE engaged with their children from a young age. One of the biggest problems children who are being bullied face is their belief (rightly or wrongly) that there are no adults that they can trust to help them out.

In the Canada - a very graciously mult-cultural country - bullying is widespread. ....................... However , we have seen i n the School Districts and schools where bullying is addressed, and penalized there is a substantail decrease in this social pathology among youth.

Good for Canada, BUT this is Japan, and Canada's methods are not going to fly here. Japan will do things their way, which, well, those here who know "know" what I am talking about. Those who are unfamiliar, well, it would take pages and pages of explaining. Sorry but you are just going to have to realize that no matter how many examples or ideas people will share, those who make the decisions won't hear them, and even if they did, it would go through one ear and out the other.

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM needs to confront reality and take this on aggressively.

BTW what you read in the article is one way the folks in power here view taking this on aggressively.

Yubaru-san,

I totally agree.

I have no children, but have worked in education all my life, including teaching in Elementary school in the U.K. before coming to Japan. In my experience, in families where the TV is NOT on 24/7, where parents and children actually communicate, problems are picked up before they become issues.

Kids that have problems, whether they are kids who refuse to go to school, kids who are bullied or kids who bully in my experience UNIFORMLY have poor communication at home.

Of course, communication is a TWO WAY process. The parents have to listen to their children and vice versa.

When I was a kid, during meals, in the evenings and before going to bed, we used to talk.

TV existed, but mum and dad didn't like it, so we didn't have one.

I blame the TV for a lot of the ills discussed here.

TV is a TERRIBLE role model.

And it cuts communication.

BertieWooster.

At the PC, Internet, Cel-phones and gaming consoles to the list of the ills.

People these days are disconnected and prefer electronic communication vs in person talks.

Bertie and It's.....I agree! I would like to lay the blame on a number of different "things" but just blaming people does nothing to improve the situation.

People, particularly parents, need to take a harder look at themselves and make a choice to be involved.

From my limited experience, I think it all comes down to the principal. The difference in the atmosphere of a school, the attitude of the teachers, and subsequent behavior and attitudes of students starts with what kind of principal is there.

Unfortunately, I had my fair share of principals who just seemed to be waiting it out for retirement and were there, but not really there.

And of course what Yubaru said about parents. And that has nothing to do with rich or poor. Plenty of bullies from rich homes going to private schools who make life hell for others.