mina2 6 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 OK so this woman comes to our office today and asks for a 5000 yen donation to the local school bukatsu (or something). I have never seen her before and have nothing to do with the school. I took the info and she went away promising to come back. Question is - whether to or not. I don't really feel I should and don't see why I should pay myself or from my company (which is what she was asking). Would you? Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 considering bukatsu is one of the biggest problems in the school system(my own opinion, and likely many school workers') i would with out hesitation flatly refuse. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 In this situation explaining what bukatsu means would be helpful to people like me who dont know what it means, despite working in a school in Japan for three years and living here for 5! Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Butaksu is the school club activities they do after lessons (baseball, badminton, swimming, music band etc) Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 and the **fackers** do it every day of the week, all day long, no rest, no life, 3 times a day in some club cases, and they still suck. Go figure...I HATE club in Japan...dont even get me started on club here. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Go on tell us more CB Don't pay. Sounds silly to me. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Club is lame, without it, kids would have half a life.. my donation 0! Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Hmm I thought club was kinda a good thing. When I was that age I would have killed for the chance to play more cricket and football after school. I agree its strange how the kids still are somehow terrible at soccer etc despite practicing so much, but in my school at least they didnt have to attend - many kids didnt. And parents work so much overtime here, they want to know their kids are safe while they get on with lining the shatchos pockets so he can get a few more Benz's. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Club could be a great thing if it was optional but from Jnr. High in most schools it's compulsory everyday after school until about 6pm. (some clubs like english, art not everyday) then saturday a practise and sunday games... I pity the coaches families. Kids get home (sometimes) then go straight to juku till 9 or 10pm. When do they do their HW? Till 3 in the morning? Sure it gives them something to do but half the time they're just hanging around and it doesn't seem to be very productive to me. Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Why are they asking you anyway, are you totally un-connected to the school? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Originally Posted By: Indosnm Club could be a great thing if it was optional but from Jnr. High in most schools it's compulsory everyday after school until about 6pm. (some clubs like english, art not everyday) then saturday a practise and sunday games... I pity the coaches families. Kids get home (sometimes) then go straight to juku till 9 or 10pm. When do they do their HW? Till 3 in the morning? Sure it gives them something to do but half the time they're just hanging around and it doesn't seem to be very productive to me. Thats me - Im the distance coach for our T&F team and have to go to Track meets about 2xs/month. One location requires me to get up at 5:30am Then work 12 hours as an "umpire/ref" so to speak. Get to watch my kids run some but not everybody and "YOU CANT" cheer for your kids when you have the badge on...its so facking stooopid. The thing I love about club though are my kids...theyre so awesome and fun to be with. Just wish I could be with them on the days they race more... Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 It's about choice though Bobby. With club, the kids often have to go 6 or 7 days a week and if they miss one or two days of practice, then they really have a tough time getting on the team. They don't have the choice to do other things like muck around with mates outside of school. Of course they can not do club at all, but when most mates are either going to club or juku, then that leaves them with no one to hang out with. But it's not only the kids who suffer from the whole club system, teachers are pretty much expected as part of their job, to go to training till late after school, and also on Saturdays and Sundays. I know from first hand experience, having been told to be coach of 2 clubs at the same time for the last 5 years. I shirk as much of it as I can, and not being Japanese I can get away with it to a certain degree, but for JApanese staff there is so much more pressure. I agree that I would have loved to play more cricket and Aussie footy as a kid. But I got that fix in cricket and footy clubs outside of school, where everyone there really wants to be there, and it is not done to death. Training a couple of times a week and a game on the weekend. Being a teacher here means having no life and no time for your family. I see it every day at my school. Teachers with little kids, that they only get to meet once a week, cos they are fast asleep by the time they get home every night. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 I got my AFL and cricket fix by being in my schools teams by choice. Training was once a week till about the last 3 years in High school. Then A grade teams trained 2 times, rarely 3 times a week. The other days we spent playing backyard footy and cricket.. that was when the fun was had.. and the fights! CB- you get off lightly.. Imagine the baseball coach! Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 yeah indo, that's the main point I reckon. They don't overdo it. 3 times a week is fine. That leaves plenty of time for backyard cricket etc. Link to post Share on other sites
yoroshiku onegai shimasu 2 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 I wouldn't want to pay it, definitely. BUT. If it is something your neighbourhood is doing, it might be worth considering paying it and just chalking it up to keeping well in. I have heard stories of people isolating themselves like that and being "punished" in the long term in other neighbourhood areas. Depends on the back story to all this I suppose. It sucks, but it happens. Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Whats the money actually going towards anyway? Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 it's in clubs that japanese kids learn how the whole sempei/kohai thing works and how to turn fun things like sports into dreary work. Clubs would be great if all the kids wanted to go pro but they don't so it's a waste of time. I think kids should be able to rotate clubs so that they get to enjoy different sports. but like bp said, if they don't do clubs then they have nobody to hang out with. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 yeah, the singular focus on one sport from start to finish gets me too. I grew up playing at least 5 different sports in clubs, and a few others just with mates. Surely you become a better sportsman in your preferred sport if you are playing other sports too... Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 at my old school, 1st year basketball club kids only stand on the sidelines holding a ball in their hands for the 1st month. after that they slowly build up to bouncing the ball. oh, and picking up balls for the 3rd years. wow, sounds like fun! Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 kuma, I'd find it hard to stop them if they wanted to play that sport, but I'd definitely make them keep it in perspective and not rule everything and everyday. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Are these clubs supposed to be compulsory? ie does a kid have to join one and go every day? Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 there are some kids at my school now that play on a club soccer team (not bukatsu) and they are allowed to not play bukatsu...but most do Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 being in a club in japan is like being in the military Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Originally Posted By: pie-eater Are these clubs supposed to be compulsory? ie does a kid have to join one and go every day? no, but it depends on the school as well. The last school I was at was a boys (read military) school. The only word the teacher used towards students was Omae. If a kid wanted to quit he got chewed out like he stole something or was a criminal...made me cringe listening to the stoopid BS they spouted off to the kids. club at my new school is optional and nobody pushes anybody to join or give em shite when they quit. thats pretty nice. but being a coach is rough,long hours, little freedom, and thats on top of all the other admin responsibilities we have here. Planning lessons, teaching, grading papers, etc is only about 30% of what I do now. Exhausting but fun...for the time being... Link to post Share on other sites
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