Ridiculous rules in Japanese schools
It seems that no one seems to follow them though

By Eimi Graham

There are many school rules in the Japanese junior high and high schools. The schools even give their students a sheet of paper before summer, winter and spring vacation clearly outlining the rules the school wants the students to obey. I thought that these rules were nonsense since I was in junior high and now that I am in college I still believe that these are totally meaningless in today’s society and there is no choice for the students other than to violate them.

I am going to list some of the rules that do exist in some Japanese schools and are listed on the kind of sheets handed out to students and provide my comment:

Don't go to a grocery store if you have nothing to buy

Isn't this a weird rule?

Always wear clothes appropriate for a student

The schools seem to think that "appropriate clothing" are clothing that are not kogal style, no makeup, no short skirts, etc. This is totally ridiculous because everyone should have freedom to wear whatever he or she wants during private time.  The school should only decide what we could wear at school.

Don't stay at another person's house, except your family

This rule is ridiculous too.

If you want to go to the movies, watch the movies that the school has permitted.  If you want to watch movies that aren't permitted, go with your parents

Kids and parents know what is good to watch and bad to watch.  The school has no business to say what kind of music students can listen to or what kind of movies they can watch. In any case, parents and not the school should make these choices.

If you're traveling, always tell the school about it before you go

Some schools just want to know about what the students are doing and where they are going just to track their activities rather than having any concern for their welfare.

Don't go out after the sun goes down

Schools don't have the right to tell when kids have to go home.

Always have your "seito techo" with you

A "seito techo" is a little book like thing and you get it when you are in junior high and high school. It has the school rules written down and its supposed to show that the student is a bona fide student of their school. But, the students are human beings.  They aren't the school's belongings.

Some schools even force the students to wear the school uniform even when they are going out.  I think this is against the children's rights and is absolutely ridiculous.  No one obeys these rules anyway since they do not make sense and are difficult to enforce.  I often wonder why Japanese school system continues to make a fool of itself with having rules and regulations that no one likes or obeys.  We are all aware of how the kogals (or kogyaru) are still ‘fighting’ to have the right to wear kogal fashion.

These rules put Japanese students in such a dilemma that when they go to college and are thrown into an environment where there are no rules, they misuse their freedom.  That is why, other than few Japanese universities, students at all others party all the time, and while men try to find good jobs the women focus on finding good husbands.

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