Unschooling in Japan:School Refusal. Homeschooling and School Refusers in Japan MATTER OF COURSE The Japan Times: May 3, 2002 SCHOOL REFUSERS; When one-size-fits-all schooling doesn't fit By ALICE GORDENKER There's a boy in our building who doesn't go to school. Ever. Nine-year-old Kenji missed 40 days of school last year, then refused to go back at all after the spring break. He says that he "can't breathe" at school and that his stomach hurts whenever he's in the building. Kenji may feel alone, but there are a lot of children like him. What makes a child refuse to go to school? Whatever the reasons, the number of children who refuse to go to school is growing. High school is not part of compulsory education, so the Education Ministry doesn't keep figures for older students, but many students drop out of high school for the same reasons younger children refuse to attend. That certainly is the case for Kenji, the boy in our building.
Initially, Kenji's parents wanted nothing more than to have him go back to school. Being friends with older people « Un-schooled. I’m not going to lie– I think it’s weird to hang out with a bunch of people exactly the same age as you all the time. And I think it’s weird because I didn’t have to do that. Most people think it’s normal. And they think it’s weird to hang out with people who aren’t exactly the same age as you. Especially if you’re a kid. When I was sixteen, my circle of close friends included a woman in her fifties, a woman in her forties, a woman in her eighties, and a girl who was ten. (my youngest friend and I. And then sometimes I called them both my friends in public anyway, defiantly, just because I could. I think it’s a little weird to hang out with people without getting to know their families. My friends always came with their siblings. I was friends with the moms. But some of my closest older friends were from the writing group I joined when I was fifteen.
I was writing a dorky fantasy novel about a queen named Relle who is one of the most powerful mages in the world. They were my friends. Chaîne de DaynaLeighMartin. Articles & Essays. ABC's of Anarchy.