People are people. . . .

Tokyo "Women Only" Coach on Subway

. . . .wherever you go.  There's a song to that effect, as I recall.  More and more these days I'm struck by how issues and problems seem to be universal.  Japan, Malaysia, America--they share so many of the same concerns So many people complaining about almost the same woes!


   For example, the pink train car pictured here is actually in Tokyo.  But here in Malaysia, too, in the op-ed pages of the newspapers, the public is wondering aloud about exactly the same concerns.  Is having such cars sexist or a necessary evil? What happens if they have few women in them but the other cars of the train are jam-packed?  How can you keep men from boarding them? SHOULD men be kept from riding in them?  Etc.


    Today's paper had an education section.  In it, teachers are fretting--no, actually, howling--about how they're so bogged down in paperwork, they can't find the time to plan or teach any more.  They want class sizes to be reduced.  They want salaries commensurate with the long hours they put in.  They want support from their administrators and protection from meddling parents.  Those feelings are universal.  American teachers are singing the same song and so are Japanese educators (though admittedly less loudly.)


     For years American teachers have been protesting the "No Child Left Behind" program.  Among other drawbacks, it has forced teachers to "teach to the test," and caused schools and administrators to prevent low-achieving students from taking proficiency tests.  They were (are?) afraid that low scores from those students will bring down the school's overall academic standing.  Here in Malaysia, one of the government-mandated "KPI" (Key Performance Indicator) initiatives has done the same thing.  Recently, three young students were kept from taking standardized tests for fear their low scores would damage the achievement score of the whole school.


    Over in Japan, they've been agonizing for years about the teaching of English, with much comment (and not much truly effective action) on the subject of how "English is the global language"  and "We're handicapping our children if we don't give them a good grounding in English."  Needless to say, as a former English teacher, I agree 1,000%!  But I also find it interesting that here in Malaysia, too, there is ongoing debate over whether certain school subjects should be taught in English to give students a language advantage later in life.  In America,  too, with more and more immigrants, there are issues about in what languages children should be taught.

    Rude youth.  Graffitti all over the place.  Crazy young drivers who endanger everybody else. Cell phone users with no courtesy or common sense. These problems are lamented by authorities here in Malaysia, in Japan, in the US, and (no doubt almost) everywhere.


    As far as I can tell, most worries and concerns, dilemmas and quandaries seem to be universal, except, maybe, for declining birth rate.  Malaysia doesn't seem to be having a problem with THAT!