In Japan, the practice of ‘droplet testing’, which tests students on school field trips to see if they have cleaned their bodies after bathing, is causing controversy.
On the 22nd, Japan’s Nishinihon Shimbun reported, “Controversy is rising as ‘droplet testing’ is being conducted on students across the country, especially in the Kyushu region.”
The water droplet test mentioned in the media involves having students take a bath and then having teachers do a hurray for naked students and then visually check to see if any water droplets remain on their bodies.
Informant A said that his daughter, a second-year middle school student, underwent this test during a school trip in December last year.
Accordingly, the school explained, “We placed two teachers of the same gender in each bathhouse for men and women to provide ‘bathing instruction’ by teaching them how to remove water droplets and keep time, and this has been the practice since before.”
The same complaint was filed anonymously with the Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education. When the Board of Education asked the school to confirm the facts, the principal of the school said, “We have provided bathing instruction, but we have not taught children to hurray,” and added, “We teach not only water droplets but also overall manners, such as not putting towels in the bathtub. “He is supposed to be taught at home, but if he becomes an adult without knowing, he will be embarrassed,” he explained.
He added, “This education is something I have been doing for a long time since I was a teacher, and I have no intention of revisiting it.”
In the Japanese education field, there was also an opinion that ‘guidance is necessary to prevent students from falling due to wet floors after bathing.’ An elementary school teacher working in Fukuoka said, “If a child feels that this map is offensive, the intent of the map was not conveyed.”
Local netizens responded that the ‘bathing guide’ was unpleasant. In July of last year, a Japanese web media company conducted a survey through social media (SNS) and found that about a quarter of 1,119 people responded that they had experienced ‘droplet testing’. It is reported that among these are cases where female teachers taught male students.
The media reported that recently in Japan, in order to prevent children from being victims of sexual violence, education that prohibits children from showing or touching sensitive parts such as breasts or buttocks to others has become mainstream.
Mariko Masita, a lawyer who handles human rights issues in Japan, said in an interview with the media, “Teachers are in a position to teach that exposure of sensitive parts is not allowed,” and “If you want to prevent falls due to moisture, there are other methods, such as wiping the floor.” “He said.
Choi Jae-ho,
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.