With temperatures peaking across the Japanese archipelago, this week's topic is very timely. A reader signing herself "Concerned Mum" wrote to Lifelines regarding the risks of heat stroke at Japanese schools. Her elementary school-aged daughter has twice been sent home sick after being made to stand or sit outside for extended periods in the sun:
Last year when she was in Grade 1 (in Tohoku), she sat out of a swimming lesson as she was recovering from a cold. She was forced to sit on hot concrete in an unshaded area on a 32-degree day, without a hat or drink. She consequently suffered from severe heat stroke.
Recently, at a different public school in Tokyo, she was sent to the nurse's room with a stomachache and headache after being made to stand outside in the sun on a very hot day during the school's morning meeting. I realize that the idea of gaman (withstanding discomfort) is a large part of the Japanese culture, but I do not believe that this concept should apply to defenseless children whose health and safety are in being placed in danger.