Like the military

Today the students are having 'line training' at Minami JHS. I asked the principal about it because I sit with him at lunch, and he speaks good English. He chuckled and said "yes, practicing straight lines. Like the military!"

They are deciding where and how students should stand during events and ceremonies. I peeked in on it because I was tired of sitting at my desk putting off lesson planning, and I watched how they put it all together. The students were all in one group but were organized first by grade, then by class, then by sex, then by height. They made perfect lines and had to make sure there were exactly arms-length apart. Then they practice sitting and standing in unison. A teacher at the stage gives commands and everything is done together. He says "Rei!" and they all bow together while he counts "ichi...ni...san". They bow for exactly three seconds and then back up.

I noticed the group of rowdy boys at the back who are going to cause trouble this year. And as they goofed around during all this, the teachers merely chuckled awkwardly and didn't know how to deal with their aggressive behavior. If I had the authority and ability to do discipline here I would have put a smack-down on them immediately because you can tell they are already exploring the limits that they can take their screwing around, and will do so all year now. The bowing and lines in Japanese schools may be "like the military," but when it comes to enforcing actual discipline, it's far from strict. Students don't get suspended, they don't get expelled, there is no detention and no going to the principal's office unless it's something really, really bad. Discipline is normally left up to their peers and their parents.