Funding for Japanese Schools

[DoctorP]

I find it really terrible how some schools in Japan (mainly Okinawa) have absolutely no funding. You see these really huge buildings, which were actually designed quite well for their purpose, but the school has no funding for necessary repairs to the facility.

It is almost as if the government is saying "use it until it falls down, then we will build a new one!"

I actually offered to do repairs at my kids school, by buying the materials and doing the work myself. Things like floor tiles, stair strips, paint....but the local city hall refused.

I understand that we have similar problems in the US, but nowhere near this bad!

[TheNoNamedOne]

If they repaired what is broken all the time before it becomes unbearable, then the children would miss out on an important cultural lesson in Japan -- Gaman power.

[thistle]

Interesting thread for me, my son's elementary school is not falling down, nor does it need any repairs, but it is way overcrowded, 2nd biggest in Okinawa I believe. This year there are only 5 classes in his year, but it means they are large classes and there are 42 kids in his class. It is a problem that has been going on for 10 years, and people have been lobbying Ginowan city mayor to build another school and every time there is an election campaign they always promise to do something about the problem but nothing ever happens.

The land which was available near the convention centre area is slowly diminishing, they keep building more and more Lion's mansions, and no school there for the kids to go to, so they all end up having to walk miles to get to our school.
They say the have no money to build it, and that Ginowan city is one of the poorest in Okinawa, but what do I know about politics!

[TheNoNamedOne]

The land which was available near the convention centre area is slowly diminishing, they keep building more and more Lion's mansions, and no school there for the kids to go to, so they all end up having to walk miles to get to our school.

Ocean side property is too valuable to let kids use throughout the whole day. Schools need to pushed further inland. The beautiful ocean and ocean breeze and smell would distract them from serious studies.

But you are right about class sizes here. Way too many kids for propper teaching and learning. I think they should just make schools with more floors, and that way more schools and land space would not be needed.

[Muku]

It's not just a problem here in Okinawa but throughout Japan. Education budgets are getting cut drastically. If you think the buildings are bad, schools often do not have enough money to buy simple school supplies, teachers have to buy them with their own money.

Now here is a "hint" on the buildings. First schools are built with national, through the prefectural and local city funding. The maintenance is then the responsibility of the city or town that the school is in.

I actually offered to do repairs at my kids school, by buying the materials and doing the work myself. Things like floor tiles, stair strips, paint....but the local city hall refused.

Yet if you want to do this kind of work most definitely do not go to city hall, talk to the school principal. City hall is full of komuin you want to stay away from them.

The principals and vice principals do quite a bit of maintenace work around a school. I was on the board of my daughters PTA and was in charge of school grounds and maintenance. We had the freedom to do what was necessary if we could do it. Major jobs of course would be contracted out through the city's BOE, but stuff like you are talking about I/we did all the time. I actually had keys to the school, and access to all the vehicles so I could even work on my own on the weekends.

Talk to the PTA and the principal, now is a good time as well as it is summer vacation and the kids are out of school.

If the principal is smart he wont look a gift horse in the mouth.

[okiprince07]

doesnt make sense to me either...maybe i should run for head of office hear in okinawa