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So far, school is going well, we are settling into a routine and Ebi-kun likes everything except math, because he says it is too easy! One of the things I don't like is that all the first years have to walk round with a big name badge on their chest. Fair enough in school but I am really not happy about the walk to and from school with their name posted on them - stranger danger and all that.
We have talked to Ebi-kun about it and he is pretty sensible as far as kids go but it doesn't stop me worrying.
The only cool thing about the name badge is the gadget to attach it to your shirt with. It comes with a pin but as you can imagine tops would get wrecked pretty quickly if you used it. This gadget has a button that you put under the shirt then you push the button into the back and click in place, so it gathers up a bit of the shirt and sandwiches it between the button and the name badge. There are other versions but work in a similar principle.
At least next year he will have a small name badge and you have to get pretty close to read it. Oh yes, and the green 5 sticker is the walking group he is in. Does your child have a name badge for school or is it a Japanesey thing?
I love reading your posts about school. At my son's school they don't wear name badges at all. It's a pretty small school, only about 350 kids total from pre-k to 7th grade. No name badges needed as everyone knows everyone's name. Some kids have their names embroidered on their uniform jackets/sweaters, but that is really just a way to tell jackets apart. At the high schools here it's pretty common to have name badges or the kids' uniforms have their names embroidered on them.
ReplyDeletemy school was pretty small too, everyone knew everyone but Ebi-kuns school is massive, 7 classes with 33 students in each class in just the first grade!
DeleteIt may just be a local thing. They don't have name badges at my kids' school in north Osaka (or uniforms, or hats, or bags of specified sizes - we have it really easy!).
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure all the schools in our area use them, I can't remember when I was up in Iwate - too long ago. Sounds like you have it easy down there!
DeleteWell, I'm in the US, and I've never heard of name badges on the kids, but some schools do it? Private schools maybe? Not sure. I know for my daughter's pre-school, when they're doing the special activities they use name badges, but not normally. I'm still amazed at how the kids walk home from school in Japan. I'd be terrified of letting my 5-6 year old walk alone... I know it's so normal over there, but I don't know if I'd get used to it!
ReplyDeleteI am getting used to the walking, had a couple of days when I wasn't sure if I should start to panic or not! But his schedule is set now so it should be easier on me lol
DeleteIts mandatory to wear i-cards (hung around the neck) with a photograph in school dress, name, parents' names, contact phone numbers and blood group. But then, no solitary walking anyway! Either a school bus, or a shared taxi (some parents get together and hire one for regular use), or you drop and pick up the child yourself, even if walking.
ReplyDeletefunny about the blood group, they have that here but until i came to Japan I had no idea what my blood group was!
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