What are your memories of summer holidays?
Days of fun, playing outside, trips to the beach, or visiting relatives.
Or homework. Japanese kids in elementary and junior high schools are given
homework for the summer. Not just do some reading kind of homework but pages
of copy work, math drills, a picture to paint and a diary to keep. Part of the
problem is the set up of the school year. The begining of summer is the end of the
first term, so when the kids go back in September they start the 2nd term. All that has
been studied in the first term needs to be remembered to build the 2nd terms work on.
So this summer has been a long hard slog to get kids to do study everyday. But who
wants to study when there are places to go to and things to do. This year has been harder
than ever because of the intense heat. I have no energy to help out or to make fun things
for the kids to do after they have finished their work. Also it really is hard for the kids
to concentrate in this heat. I have the air conditioner blasting away but it is still hard.
Anyway almost finished, I hope that the last few days of the holiday we can go out somewhere.
At least let the kids have a couple of days fun before back to the grind of school!!
