Recently, teenagers are ruder than in the past. People used to have high degree of sophistication in former times. People behaved themselves with decency. How do Japanese and Australian teenagers behave at school and public transportation lately? And, how do they behave toward their parents? Teenagers in Australia are more polite than teenagers in Japan.
First, daily school life in Australia is livelier than that of Japan. According to NSW Department of School Education, Australian students have rest time for about 5~10 minutes during classes, but actually they spend the time moving to the next room. In Japan, however, students wait for the teacher to come to their classroom. So, Japanese students spend rather rude time.
Australian schools have many rules, however, Australian teachers do not say, “Do not wear short skirts”. Japanese, whenever they think it is natural that they should behave better, they always do so. For example, in Australia when a student teases students using bad names, the student would be attended to immediately. If he does not change his attitude, he is warned and the teacher makes him self-study outside the classroom (detention). Still if he does not behave, he is suspended (suspension). What is more the principal can dismiss him from school (expel). He only used a racial term, but he is to be disposed of thoroughly. Australian people think that it is more important not to discriminate. It is against the law for teachers to inflict physical punishment on students in Australia. It is in Japan too, but actually, Japanese teachers inflict physical punishment. So, Japanese teenagers’ attitudes become worse, because their teachers sometimes scold them too hard. According to the NSW Department of School Education, one Australian school has class time rules. All classmates and teacher usually make class time rules at beginning the new term. For example, “if a student is warned three times in class, the student must move to special seat. If he is warned four times in class, he must leave the classroom. Still if he has a problem, he must go to the principal’s office.” It is strict for students. So, Australian students become polite. Many students do not want to follow those rules, but it makes people polite.
Second, Japanese teenagers’ manners are bad in public places. They use cell-phones in buses or trains. They loudly talk to friends. They are eating. Sometimes, they even sit on the floor! They are so rude. According to my Australian friend, Australian teenagers are more polite than Japanese teenagers. Australian teenagers do not use cell-phones in the buses. Sometimes they give up seats for old people, disabled people and expectant women. Japanese teenagers should consider Australian teenagers’ behaviors.
According to an examination of the Federal Statistical Federation of Australia in 2000, Australian teenagers’ populations of 32 presents are involved in volunteer works. In 1995, this population was 24 percents. So, volunteering increases more and more in Australia. Japanese wish Japanese teenagers were doing volunteer work in Japan.
Third, do Australian teenagers spend at their home? According to the Federal Statistical Federation of Australia, Australian junior high school students do their homework, when they come home at 5:00. They eat dinner at 6:00. They wash their dishes and prepare for tomorrow’s lunch at 6:30. They watch TV with their family at 7:30, and they go to bed at 9:30. This lifestyle is very regular. Do Japanese junior high school students wash the dishes themselves? Do they go to bed at 9:00? Most Japanese junior high school students do not those things.
According to the NSW Department of School Education, Australian family’s relationships are closer than those in Japan. Japanese teenagers tend to dislike their fathers. So, they resist them, but Australian teenagers generally will listen to their father’s advice. According to the Commonwealth of Australia, Australian teenagers’ parents generally give punishment when they resist the family’s admonition, when they slight family’s rules, and when they neglect their obligations. For example, they did not cut grass, they did not care their pet, and they did not lay simple meal. Their punishments are suspension of allowance, prohibition of watching TV and so on. So, Australian teenagers are very formal and polite. Australian teenagers also respect privacy. They are family, but they should respect their privacy as a person in Japan.
Australian teenagers are more courteous than Japanese teenagers. They are more polite at school, in public places and to their parents. At school, they move to the next classroom during rest times, they study hard and they have many rules. In public place, they are well mannered in buses and they are involved in volunteer works. At their home, they can spend regular hours, they listen to their parents’ advices and they respect family’s privacy. Japanese teenagers need to imitate Australian teenagers.
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