Education System Demands Shocking Uniformity Among Students

In modern schools, excessive egalitarianism is causing children to become increasingly fearful of competition. Even if something is beneficial, there is a tendency for them to avoid it if they think it will make them stand out. This tendency has reportedly intensified significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

We’ve seen this trend in the first part of the series, “Children Who Fear Standing Out.” What has been happening in schools since the pandemic? To shed light on this, I want to share insights from recent research, “Report: How Smartphone Parenting is Destroying Children,” which gathers voices from over 200 education professionals, ranging from preschool to high school. 

Part 1: Children’s Fear of Standing Out Highlighted in Education Report

Many teachers point out that the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted nearly three years starting in 2020, significantly altered school systems. Before the pandemic, there was an atmosphere encouraging the development of students’ individuality. However, it seems that this atmosphere has shifted towards suppressing individuality as a result of the pandemic.

The principal of a junior high school in Aichi Prefecture explains:

“During the pandemic, it was all about ‘don’t do this’ or ‘don’t do that.’ For the sake of infection prevention, we stifled everything the students wanted to do and demanded the same discipline and lifestyle from everyone. After three years of this, the atmosphere of encouraging individuality has diminished in schools, and students, due to this trauma, have become less likely to express themselves.”

“Advancements in Internal School ‘Divisions’”

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools enforced strict rules, requiring everyone to wear masks and adhere to regulations for everything from classes to lunch. Any deviation from these rules resulted in strict reprimands, such as “Wear your mask!” and “No talking!” As a result, children gradually stopped demonstrating independent thinking and behavior.

 

However, children have the ability to change their attitudes and actions if their environment changes. If schools eliminate the pressure for uniformity, children will likely regain their autonomy. The issue now is that even after the pandemic has ended, some schools continue to maintain these restrictive and management-oriented conditions.

 

Teachers point out that the pandemic led to increased “division” within schools. For example, one teacher from a different junior high school explains:

 

“During the pandemic, the rules at school changed drastically. While students used to spend break times wherever they wanted, now specific classes were assigned specific areas, like one class in the gym, another on the rooftop, and another in a certain section of the playground. Movement between classes was also prohibited.

 

Sports days were reduced to mornings only and were held separately for each grade. For instance, first graders had their sports day from 9 to 10 a.m., second graders from 10 to 11 a.m., and third graders from 11 a.m. to noon. While one grade was having their sports day on the playground, other grades had regular classes in their classrooms instead of observing or cheering.

 

Even though the pandemic has ended, these practices continue. What were once infection control measures are now maintained because they are convenient for managing students or reduce teachers’ workload. Some principals and boards of education call it ‘rationalizing sports days’ or ‘reforming teachers’ work practices,’ but do students actually want this?”

 

If such practices are widespread, it leads to increased division among students within the school, with their relationships becoming more insular. This, in turn, can lead to a heightened sense of conformity among the children.

 

It seems that schools are increasingly demanding uniformity from students. A teacher from another junior high school explains:

 

“After the pandemic, there seems to be a growing trend towards demanding uniformity from students. For example, in the past, during cultural festivals, there would be main actors with many lines and supporting roles with just a few lines. This allowed students to aspire to be leads or discover their strengths in supporting roles. It was part of their growth. Now, however, it’s considered best to have everyone perform for the same amount of time and give them the same length of lines.

 

The same goes for classes. Allowing only the more capable students to speak up is now seen as discriminatory. All students must be given equal opportunities to participate. To me, it feels even more harsh to force students with learning disabilities to participate in the same way. These tendencies existed before the pandemic, but they seem to have increased as schools reassess their operations post-pandemic.” 

Children have different strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. Ideally, what schools should do is identify each child’s unique qualities and provide opportunities for them to excel.

For instance, children who are good at sports should be given chances to shine in physical education classes and sports events, while those with manual skills should be given opportunities to excel in technical or art classes.

 

7 or 8 out of 10 people cannot express themselves.

However, if children’s individuality is ignored and efforts are made to enforce uniformity across all areas, it is understandable that children will become extremely fearful of standing out in order to avoid being different from others.

 

According to teachers, what is currently happening in schools is this form of enforced uniformity. And children affected by this trend tend to exhibit certain characteristics. 

The teacher says:

“There are many students who have only copied others or followed the rules set by adults. These students tend to hide their true selves and do not show their genuine feelings to either teachers or other students.

What worries me is that while they continue to do this, some of them may lose sight of their true selves. Hiding one’s true self essentially means losing the opportunity to discover who you really are. As a result, they may become increasingly unsure of their own identity.”

What does it mean to not understand oneself?

“Even if we tell students, ‘It’s okay to say what you think,’ 7 or 8 out of 10 will only tilt their heads and not respond. They are not confronting themselves. It is particularly telling that they don’t know their own strengths or weaknesses. When asked about their strengths or things they like, they reply, ‘Well, I’m not sure.’

 

What’s worse is when we distribute a handout asking them to write down their strengths and weaknesses. Some students end up writing exactly the same content as their friends. When asked if it’s alright for their strengths and weaknesses to be the same as their friends’, they answered, ‘I think they are probably the same.’”

Is this what awaits children who have avoided “floating” (i.e., being out of touch or disconnected)? The book *Rupo: How Smartphone Parenting is Destroying Children* provides various examples, which can offer insights into the current situation.

 

When we look at this, it raises the question of whether the post-COVID school environment is truly the best for children. Rather than lumping everything together under terms like “work reform” and “school reform,” it seems necessary to review each aspect from the children’s perspective.