High-handed Teachers

 

 

 When I was an elementary school student and a junior high school student, most teachers were very high-handed people. They were short-tempered. They didn’t listen to students. I couldn’t help but question their personalities. When I grew up, I talked to coworkers and friends about their school memories. Most of them had the same impression about their teachers.

 But there were exceptions. People who studied at rural schools, which had a few students, experienced a completely different school life. Their teachers were nice and gentle.

 Whenever I talked to young people about their school memories, I would find that they also experienced a different school life. They said most of their teachers were nice and gentle.

 This might be due to the number of students.

 I grew up in one of the biggest cities in Japan in the 1970s. That was shortly after Japan’s period of high economic growth. There was a concentration of population in big cities. My town built many huge apartment houses at that time. When I was an elementary school student, our class had six transfer students after summer vacation. I had about 60 classmates at that time. My classmates were also diverse. They were from all over Japan. Of course, there were local students whose families have lived there for many generations.

 I think there was no option. When a few individuals need to control many people, they have to be high-handed. It could be the most efficient way. If the teachers faced up and nestled all the students, it made the teachers uncomfortable. Imagine you have to teach 60 children every day. This situation could destroy your personality.

 Now I live in the same town I grew up. We had just one elementary school at that time. Now we have three. Because of the declining birth rate, all elementary schools have empty rooms.

 Once we had too few schools, now we have too many. I am tempted to say something sarcastic.

 I hated my high-handed teachers, most of whom, I believe, are dead now. But if they were teachers now, they might be completely different. They could be nice and gentle.

 Children can’t choose their educational environments. But unfortunately, in most cases, even adults have no choice over their working environments.

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