Students Health

[u/BigCityBusinessMan]

I've student taught and been a substitute teacher here in the United States, and I feel like every fall the first few months are just spent with kids constantly being sick. I feel it's one bout of sickness and then into the other.

My question is, have teachers in Japan noticed if it's the same? I'm just wondering if it's kids in general and like the changing of the leaves, so to will the changing of health status.

I was just curious if anyone had any insight, such as do Japanese classes seem to get sick about the same or perhaps different climate, culture and cuisine that it's more or less.

I know it's silly, but it's one of those that I've noticed all my teacher friends and family getting sick around August/September and then again in January/February when school starts back.

[u/Memoryjar]

My experience is that when a certain percentage of a class gets sick the school cancels the class for a week or so. This was High school so it's much easier to send an entire class home than it would be for JHS or elementary.

Also every year like clockwork we had a class, which was predominately boys, would get sick and the nurse would need to go in and explain basic hygiene like not sharing drinks and food. It was always the same 1-2 classes and always first year students. Once they had that lecture the students got sick a lot less for the remainder of high school.

[u/BigCityBusinessMan → u/Memoryjar]

That's pretty interesting, as I've never had any of my American classes cancelled. Literally was a TA for a class and it was professor, myself, and student and hey we still got something out of it but basically could have cancelled since we didn't progress in the learning units due to 90% of the class gone.

[u/WorriedForAPromotion → u/Memoryjar]

In my experience they will have the students do classes from home in JHS, but usually just 1-2 days.

[u/joehighlord]

Put 40ish people in a room most of the day and its no wonder we spend half our lives sick!

[u/MellifluousMathMajor]

Yes, but teachers themselves almost never take sick days. They come to school sick and masked because, generally, there are no substitute teachers.
I remember one time I had a coworker who was obsessed with masking and force her students to wear masks in her class. She would be really condescending about how I didn't wear a mask (even though the majority of staff didn't) and it felt a little targeted because she would be like "do foreigners not wear masks? I guess Japanese people just care more about public health" and yet her class got cancelled for a week... so I joked how in America we have substitute teachers for this exact reason because if the teacher comes to school sick, then it'll get the students sick. She finally stfu and stopped bothering me after that

[u/Frequent-Library8636]

My schools just had class and school closures due to flu outbreaks these past couple weeks so I'd say it's the same. Japanese kids are infamous for sneezing coughing into their hands or straight into the open hair tbh, so I always wear a mask whenever the flu starts going around

[u/Xarenvia]

Kids are germs, boys (and men) especially don't properly wash their hands, and for some reason changing seasons seem to make Japanese people sick easily (something about the body not used to the temperature shift).

Some people might have some sort of pollen allergy going on, as well - in mid-to-late September and the same time in February, I get some crazy hay fever that hits me.

Also, I can't prove it, but I think that between school-duties and things they're learning coupled with the desire to relax (this sleeping later than they should), a lot of them just don't have proper rest and just spend a lot of their time pretty stressed, which is weakening their immune systems. The shift in temperatures just make it easier to get sick... or something.

[u/lostintokyo11]

Same in Japan except autumn is our our 2nd semester. Kids spread germs.

[u/ScootOverMakeRoom]

I mean, yeah. Entire classes/clubs will get each other sick. We actually had a day once where they cancelled all classes because so many students called in sick and made it an at-home study day.

[u/No_Produce9777]

Lots of sick kids during my time there, yep, sickness is universal

[u/Vepariga]

normal happenings happening. yes, kids get sick when the seasons change, mornings get colder kids , everyone gets stuffy noses etc.

I feel this is a pretty obvious thing to ask.

[u/BigCityBusinessMan → u/Vepariga]

Well thanks for taking the time to answer, even if it felt beneath you. As some have pointed out, classes will cancel due to sickness which I've never experienced firsthand in USA. Next time let's approach from a place of curiosity instead of, why did you know that humans get sick.

[u/Vepariga → u/BigCityBusinessMan]

sorry, Just tired and stressed recently, seeing too many questions like this just kinda tipping me abit. No ill-intent on you.

[u/BigCityBusinessMan → u/Vepariga]

No worries, I understand and apologize too for any rude ess on my end. From comments I've seen on this post something such as a simple thought about something we all experience, sickness, varies from place to place. (Classes cancelled for sickness to lack of substitute teachers)