Students' comments on social issues

Students respond to social issues with critical and responsible attitudes.

Transcript

The other day in one of my classes sixty-six students wrote essays about current issues in Japanese society.

Twenty-one people wrote about bullying and suicide among children. Some had been bullied when they were younger, and all of them were very critical of simplistic solutions proposed by adults.

Fifteen students wrote about food and trust related to recent media reports. Twelve of them were outraged by the discovery that Fujiya, a large confectionary company, had been using old materials in their products, and three were surprised by the impact of a fictitious TV report on natto, fermented soy beans, as a diet food.

Nine students wrote about environmental dilemmas, eight wrote about crime and punishment, and five discussed women's issues, including abortion, surrogate motherhood, support for working mothers, and the lack of adequate maternity care at hospitals.

Eight people wrote on various topics, including personal privacy, the illusion of equality in schooling, the fact that mass media cannot be trusted, and the need for more consideration of others in general.

I'm pleased to know that these young women keep up with current affairs and that most of them think seriously about their opinions and their roles in society. (198 words)