Reading (inglés)

School bullying in Japan

In Japan two more children have had emotional breakdowns after being bullied at school. 5 children have had psychiatric treatment since August. A head teacher has alsobeen questioned after he was criticised for his response to a bullying incident in his school.

Both of the children who had nervous breakdowns this weekend had been bullied. A twelve year old girlconsidered seeing a psychiatrist after her classmates teased her for being short. A fourteen year old boy escaped from school after his classmates tried to extort money from him.

It's not new ofcourse. Japan's schools have long had a problem with bullying. After these serious problems of five young children in less than four months, there is more attention being paid to the problem, but no-onecan agree what to do about it.

More attention, of course, can create its own difficulties. The head teacher was questioned by police after giving a news conference in which he was criticised for hishandling of an extortion incident involving a pupil at his school.

Seeing a psychiatrist in Japan is not just seen as an easy way out. Traditionally, it was regarded as a responsible way to dealwith a problem when faced with no other option. But last week, several schoolchildren wrote to the Education minister threatening to kill themselves because no-one would help them. He responded byurging students not to write to him, but instead to try find people they could talk to about their difficulties.

It's awkward. Some fear publicising such cases increases the likelihood others will tryto copy them. Others though, say the failures in the system need to be exposed.

Part A. Reading Comprehension.

I. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account theinformation in the text. (2 points: 1 point each)

a. According to the text, what does the Education minister recommend students to do?

b. According to the text, why did classmates tease...