1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango, what's that? Well, so I've probably spent 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: a little more time than I should today just sitting 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: here trying to calculate America's gross national happiness gross wife 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: our gross national happiness. So it's this index created in 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies by the King of Bhutan, and he 6 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: decided that instead of focusing on his country's gross domestic 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: product or GDP, that they should be focused on their 8 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: g n H And and so the government began working 9 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: on policies to increase gross national happiness. So this is 10 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: a real thing. I'm not kidding. And as part of 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: the focus, the Boutanese government came up with an education 12 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: reform plan called Educating for Gross National Happiness. They were 13 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: trying to provide a more holistic schooling for the country's children, 14 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: you know, better in a great schools into their communities 15 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and promote ecological health. I mean it's all good stuff, right, yeah, 16 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: And at the very least, it's a very sweet idea, 17 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: I agree, but you know, it's fast. They need to 18 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: look at how different countries around the world approach education 19 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: and and what they decided to focus on, and how 20 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: even some of the operank systems in the world can 21 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: approach things so differently, so we'll talk about some of 22 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: those today. But don't worry, We're not done talking about 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: gross national happiness. So let's get started, right Hey, their 24 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson 25 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend man 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: guest Ticketer and on the other side of that soundproof 27 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 1: glass doing his best Billy Idle impression as our friend 28 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: and producer Tristan McNeil. It's not a bad one. Actually 29 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: looks kind of looks like him. Are you ready to 30 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: talk education? Mango? Am I? So? I'm super excited for 31 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: our guests and and we're definitely gonna put one of 32 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: our listeners to the test with a ridiculous quiz and 33 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: I'm ready to get started, all right. Well, before we 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: dive in, we should say that they are obviously challenges 35 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: involved when you try to compare educational systems around the world. 36 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: Every country has its own values and its own challenges 37 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,919 Speaker 1: and of course its own strengths. But we did decide 38 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: to look at data gathered by the o e c D, 39 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: which is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and 40 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: and specifically their Program for International Student Assessment, and the 41 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: o e c D is this inner governmental organization. It's 42 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 1: made up of thirty five countries, the US being one 43 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,399 Speaker 1: of those, and other places are included like Australia and Mexico, 44 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom, Finland, Japan, Chile, and and several others. 45 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: And the organization was founded in the sixties with this 46 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: goal of trying to help economic development around the world. 47 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: They also work to think through common problems, but one 48 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: of the areas that they look at is the quality 49 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: of education around the world. So this Program for International 50 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: Student Assessment is is just one way that they evaluate 51 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: things like the level of education and science and math 52 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: and reading. But you know also what percentage of children 53 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: have access to education. Yeah, and we should also say 54 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: that in looking at an assessment like this, we know 55 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: it's not a perfect science and it doesn't really give 56 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: us a look at every country in the world. I mean, 57 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: this has been criticized for like only in valuating the 58 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: wealthier nations, and that's a valid criticism, but it's one 59 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: of the better collections of data available and it is 60 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: fascinating to look through. Yeah. So all that to say, 61 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: you'll hear us referring to the O e c D 62 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: as we compare countries that are members. And our goal 63 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: here is not to say that one country is better 64 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: than others. But it really is fascinating how you could 65 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: pick two countries that are near the top of the 66 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: student assessment in terms of math and science and reading 67 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: scores and realize that they have incredibly different approaches to education. 68 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: And that's exactly what we want to do. I mean, 69 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: these are these are two countries that you will always 70 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: show up on these lists of the best school systems 71 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: around the world. But again, these two countries are so 72 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: very different in how they approach education. Yeah, and not 73 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: from one another, but also from us. Right, And of 74 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: course we're talking about Finland and Japan here, and we'll 75 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: be looking at a few other countries too, but let's 76 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: start with Ease. So Will's assignment was to look into Finland, 77 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: and I took Japan. And we should know that we 78 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: couldn't have done this episode without the incredible research assistance 79 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: from Jocelyn Sears. So well, why don't you talk to 80 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: me about Finland? All right? So it was super interesting 81 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: reading about the investment and focus that Finland put into 82 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: their educational system really beginning in the early nineteen sixties, 83 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: and this was when parliament there decided that the best 84 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: way to really build long term economic success was to 85 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: invest in education and specifically in their teachers. So they 86 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: made the decision that all teachers needed to be highly trained, 87 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: and by the late nineteen seventies, all teachers were required 88 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: to have a master's degree. And get this, fewer than 89 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: fifteen percent of applicants are even accepted into these master's programs. 90 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: It's that competitive. And according to a fascinating Smithsonian article 91 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: I was looking at the focus on investing in teachers, 92 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: it really led to this elevated status for teachers. It 93 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: kind of put them on par with doctors and lawyers, 94 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: and not in terms of salary, but because of the 95 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: amount of autonomy and respect that they're given. Yeah. And 96 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: and so you were telling me that even after they 97 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: get into the master's programs, it's still really competitive to 98 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: get those teaching jobs. Yeah. So one statistic I saw 99 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: from a few years ago is that there are nearly 100 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: seven thousand applicants competing for fewer than seven hundred openings 101 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: at the primary school level. And you know, most teachers 102 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: now have master's degrees not only in education, but also 103 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: in a specific content area, and there's additional focus on 104 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: being prepared to teach their special needs students, which is wild. 105 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: But talk to me about autonomy. Well, the government decided 106 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: that once they'd really invested in teacher training after about 107 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: a decade or so, it was it was time to 108 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: put decision making in the hands of these teachers. So 109 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: prior to the nineties, the curriculum guides in Finland were 110 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: something like seven hundred pages long, which I mean, I 111 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: guess isn't that surprising since there's obviously a ton involved 112 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: in teaching. But what's more crazy than that is that 113 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: if you want to read the core curriculum guidelines for 114 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: teaching math today, you can do that in fewer than 115 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: ten pages. Yeah, it's because these are really just guiding principles, 116 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: and the teachers and local schools they're able to tailor 117 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: those guiding principles to meet the needs of their local population. 118 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: So this whole structure is pretty decentralized. Then, oh, definite. 119 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: So that's definitely all fascinating. But here's what I might 120 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: find even more interesting, and it's that when we were 121 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: looking at the stats on school hours and time spent 122 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: with the teachers. It seems like kids in Finland are 123 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: spending far less time with their teachers than kids in 124 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: most other countries. Well that's right, but but let's back 125 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: up a little bit and start from the beginning. So, 126 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: so kids actually don't start school there until they're seven 127 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: years old, and before that, Finland does provide this heavily 128 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: subsidized daycare, you know, opportunity for all of its children. 129 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: But in these preschools, they aren't really focused on teaching 130 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: things like math and reading. The focus is much more 131 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: on play, I mean lots and lots of creative play 132 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: and outdoor play. And then the parental leaf policy and 133 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: Inland is so generous, allowing parents to stay home until 134 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: their kids reach three, and so their rates of enrollment 135 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: in early childhood education are are actually pretty low. And 136 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: even after three, there are fewer kids in preschool at 137 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: ages three and four than any other country in the 138 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: O e c D. That's really interesting. But what about 139 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: once they get to primary school. Well, here's where our 140 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: kids are going to be incredibly jealous. So for the 141 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: first few years of school, the school day is only 142 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: four hours long and seventy five minutes of that is recess, 143 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: seventy five minutes of recess, so I'm certain my son 144 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: doesn't see anywhere near that much. No, I was looking. 145 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: I think the average time allocated the recess in the 146 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: US is is less than half an hour. I think 147 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: it's like twenty seven minutes. But you know, in Finland 148 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: it's mandated that they have fifteen minutes of recess for 149 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: every hour of instruction, and even beyond that, the schools 150 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: also incorporates so much more time for arts and crafts 151 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: and just very active hands on learning. So forget about 152 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: my kids being jealous, like I'm jealous. I get it, 153 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: I get but I'm guessing the days get longer as 154 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: the kids get a little older. Yeah, but you know, 155 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: even by ninth grade, school days are just six hours long. 156 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: So if you total the amount of time finished kids 157 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: spend at school over their nine years of basic education, 158 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: it's about sis which I know that sounds like a lot, 159 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: but that's more than a thousand hours less than the 160 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: O E C D average. So one of the things 161 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: I read about Finland and that I'll talk about a 162 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: little when we look at Japan is the psychology of 163 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: removing shoes when coming into the classroom. Well, I thought 164 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: this was interesting too, And and of course in a 165 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: place like Finland where it's very cold in the winter, 166 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: there's a practical purpose for taking your shoes off, you know, 167 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: to prevent bringing in snow and mud. But like you said, 168 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: there's also a psychological impact that's been seen in multiple studies. 169 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: So the thinking is that students feel more relaxed than 170 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: at home, that it helps them focus and even improves 171 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: their behavior. And it was interesting to read about studies 172 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: in other countries where it's more common to wear shoes 173 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 1: indoors and to see the impact of testing on shoe removal. 174 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: And so one experiment in Spain, where it's the norm 175 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: to wear shoes indoors, found that behavior and performance improved 176 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: with the shoe removal test. That's pretty neat. So back 177 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: to the time spent on school and studying, we haven't 178 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: talked about homework. Are the kids in Finland making up 179 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: for less time in school spent by doing more homework? 180 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: Not even close, to be honest with I mean, in fact, 181 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: kids in Finland spend less time doing homework than any 182 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: other kids in the O E. C. D SO study 183 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: from two thousand and twelve found that the average fifteen 184 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: year old spent about two hundred minutes per week on 185 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: after school study. That's almost a hundred minutes lower than 186 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 1: the next lowest, which was the Czech Republic. My son 187 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: hits homework so much, I'm sure he's gonna be packing 188 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 1: his bag exactly. So what else do we want to 189 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: know about the education in Finland? All? Right? Well, a 190 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: few things, a few other notes I had here, but 191 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: but one big one I actually should have noted this 192 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: earlier is that a big part of the reformed education 193 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 1: policy in Finland is focused on equality and education or 194 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: equal access I guess. And so there's a strong belief 195 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: that every child, regardless of their family's income, or their background, 196 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: or their status or location, should have the same educational opportunity. 197 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: They really see, education is this way to combat social inequality, 198 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: and as a result of this, the gap between the 199 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: weakest and the strongest students is the smallest in the world. 200 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: And there are a couple other things I wanted to mention. 201 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: What else here? Um? Oh yeah, Actually, there aren't any 202 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: standardized test in Finland, which is like school paradise, I know. 203 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: So instead teachers work to assess the students independently as 204 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 1: they progress, so this gets back to the highly trained 205 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: teacher thing, and every student receives free school lunches as 206 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: well as access to medical and dental care. Uh University 207 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: tuition is free now. As for the future, their latest 208 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: curriculum updates focus on something called phenomenon based teaching, which 209 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: is this effort to focus less on individual subjects and 210 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: more on this interdisciplinary approach. So the teachers collaborate more, 211 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: you know, to make this work, and it'll be interesting 212 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: to see what this means for Finland in the future. 213 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: And all of this is completely fascinating to me. One 214 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: other note, though, I do think we should keep in 215 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: mind that there are only about five million people in Finland, 216 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: so it's a very small country compared to some of 217 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: the other massive countries around the world, and even compared 218 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: to Japan, which I know we'll talk about next. So 219 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: this is not to say that everything that works in 220 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: Finland will work everywhere else, but it's still really interesting 221 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: to see what they've accomplished. Definitely, Well, I'm ready to 222 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:25,719 Speaker 1: talk about your fan but first, why don't we take 223 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 1: a quick break. So Mango, a couple of weeks ago, 224 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: you may Remember, we responded to several listener requests, and 225 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: we we told our listeners that we were going to 226 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: give some of them a chance to be on the 227 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 1: show and play some of our ridiculous quizzes. All they 228 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: had to do was either send us an email or 229 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 1: call into our Fact hotline four pt Genius to tell 230 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: us why they should be on the show. And that's 231 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: seven Fact hot Line. It is still right, Manga. I 232 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: was just gonna say that's good. I just wanted to 233 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: check because I've heard of a lot of fact hot 234 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: lines or other hotlines not going so I'm glad we're 235 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: maintaining that. So so anyway, our guest today responded and 236 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: and was the only person who wrote in or who 237 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: called in, and who was both a zombie on the 238 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: Las Vegas Strip and a production of Evil Dead the 239 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: Musical and a mechanical bull operator. I think was the 240 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: only person that called it. We've got so many great 241 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: calls and so many great emails, but Sam Murphy was 242 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: the only person that called in with both of those qualifications, 243 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: as well as being a science teacher at the elementary level, 244 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: which is why we decided to have Sam on the 245 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: show today. So Sam Murphy. Welcome to part time genius. Hi. So, 246 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: I'm assuming growing up you you always knew that you 247 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: wanted to be both a zombie on the Las Vegas 248 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: trip and a mechanical bull operators. That is that accurate? No, absolutely, 249 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: you know. And like when I was looking for college programs, 250 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 1: I looked for something I could double major in both 251 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: of those things. It was very important to me. That's terrific. Well, 252 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: I had a question specifically about the bull operating side 253 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: of it. I actually two questions. What one, what's a 254 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,439 Speaker 1: respectable time to stay on a bull for? And too? 255 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: Have you have you ever seen anyone right a sober? Okay? Um? 256 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: So the official time in rodeo is eight seconds and 257 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: then you're officially being scored from that point on. So 258 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: if you can stay on mechanical bowl for eight seconds, 259 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: having never rode before, you're doing great. That's fantastic. Um. 260 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: And I'm sure. Yeah, during the day there are a 261 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: couple of times where people were mostly sober. It's people 262 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: on the laws biggest trip. Yeah, imagine that's true. Just 263 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: to clarify, if you have not made it eight seconds, 264 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: you're not even to the point of being judged yet. 265 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: Is that what you're saying in rodeo. Yeah, you have 266 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: to go eight seconds and then they'll start scoring you. 267 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: So I mean, like when I was a bull operator, 268 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: I'd go pretty easy for the first like four so 269 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: people could feel good about themselves. Got it, and you 270 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: crank it up? I understand. Okay, Now that's pretty awesome. 271 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: And you're also a comedian and an actor in Las 272 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 1: Vegas as well as a science teacher. I mean, I 273 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: don't know how you find the time to do all 274 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: of this, but but tell us what you teach at 275 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 1: the elementary level. UM. Yeah, so it's a really really 276 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: great third party company. UM. And we teach science, and 277 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: we sort of teach like the highlight reels of science. 278 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: So we dropped dry ice into things and see what happens, 279 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: and we make them slime and we send that home 280 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: with them. UM. So it's really really cool to be 281 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: this fun, bright part of kids days when they're really 282 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: bogged down with tests and making sure that they hit 283 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: certain requirements in certain marks, and we say, go play. 284 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: Oh that's awesome, that's awesome. Well, well we have a 285 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: quiz ready for you today, Mango. What quiz are we 286 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: putting Sam up to? Uh, well, it was going to 287 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: be called the Great School Quiz, but I've upgraded it 288 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: to the pretty Great School Quiz. Al Right, Well, it's 289 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: five questions and they're pretty straightforward questions, but they're fun. 290 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: One Sammy ready to play? I'm so ready? All right, 291 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: here we go. Question number one. What band wrote confusing 292 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: lyrics to the song I Am the Walrus when they 293 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: heard that high school students were being forced to study 294 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: and analyze their songs in class. That's right, one for one, alright. 295 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: Question number two, what popular condiment was banned in French 296 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: school cafeterias in two thousand eleven on the grounds that 297 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: it posed a threat to the national cuisine. Yeah, that's right, 298 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: well done too for two. That sounded like a little 299 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: bit of a guest, But I'm glad you trusted your 300 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: got on that one. Okay. I just feel like French 301 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: people would be like ruining alright. Question number three. What 302 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies and eighties animated music series got its start 303 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: when an ad executive realized that his kid couldn't remember 304 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: the multiplication tables but had no problem recalling rock lyrics. 305 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: M Holograss not a bad guest of the answer, to 306 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: this one, Mango. Yeah, what am I talking? Yeah that's right, 307 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: Schoolhouse Rock. But we'll give that to you. Yeah, I 308 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: think we're giving Sam credit for that one. Alright. Question 309 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: number four. What Cuban dictator declared nineteen sixty one the 310 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: Year of Education and sent literacy brigades to the countryside 311 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: to build schools and teach people to read. Yeah, that's right. 312 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: And and by the end of that year, literacy had 313 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: jumped from sixty to nine. Alright, so you're four for four. 314 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: Let's see how Sam can do on the last one 315 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: and two thousand, fifteen students in Chicago launched a unique fundraiser. 316 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: They got the school to play the song Baby by 317 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: this Canadian artist between classes, and students could pay money 318 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: to get it to stop. What artists are we talking about? 319 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: Justin Bieber. The campaign was so effective that it raised 320 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,359 Speaker 1: over a thousand dollars in less than three days. Wow. 321 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: So I think Sam has gone an astonishing five for five. 322 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: So what is Sam je today? Mango? Yes, I'm when 323 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: amazing five for five? And not only is Sam one 324 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 1: a handwred note to their mom or boss, but also 325 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: a copy of Stray shopping Carts of North America, which 326 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: is a field guide to abandon shopping carts. Thank you, 327 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: I'm so excited. Thank you so much for having me. 328 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: You guys, welcome back to Part time Genius. Now, before 329 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: the break, we talked about Finland, and I wish all 330 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: our kids the best as they relocate it to take 331 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,880 Speaker 1: advantage of their shorter school days and lack of standardized testing. 332 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: But now it's time to talk about another country that 333 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: also appears near the top of these O e c 334 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: D rankings. And again this is based on scores in 335 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: math and science and reading, but it's a country with 336 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: a very very different approach, and that's Japan. So Mango, 337 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,639 Speaker 1: the mic is yours. Thanks for warming up for me. 338 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: So I want to go back to a point you 339 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: made earlier about the fact that every country is different 340 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 1: and that each culture has its own priorities and their 341 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: own interests. So even though Finland and Fancy very high 342 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: scores on the assessment, they really do have different approaches. 343 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: And I actually wanted to start by talking about values first. 344 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: So so things beyond I guess the learning of the 345 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 1: core subjects m definitely and and we'll get to that 346 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: stuff too, But first I want to emphasize how much 347 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 1: focused Japanese culture puts on developing independence and the sense 348 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: of social responsibility, all at a very young age. So 349 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,919 Speaker 1: one way to illustrate the importance of independence before we 350 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: talk about what happens at school is how kids get 351 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: to school. I've I've read about this a little bit before, 352 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:05,400 Speaker 1: and and and that's the fact. I guess that most 353 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: kids in Japan walk to school, Right, that's true, but 354 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: that's not all. So most of them, as as young 355 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 1: as like six years old, will walk to school alone 356 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: or at least not with their parents. Like many of 357 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: them walk as a group. But usually this big ends 358 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: around first grade. And for most schools, if kids are 359 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: within walking distance, they're required to walk. The walking distance 360 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 1: can be considered more than four to five kilometers, so 361 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: the average walk for an elementary school kid can be 362 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: up to thirty to sixty minutes. Yeah. There's a sociologist 363 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: in Tokyo whose name Terru Clavell, and she put it 364 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: this way quote, it's a culturally indoctrinated understanding that children 365 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: are supposed to be independent by the time they start 366 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: grade school. Really, so that's age six. And she goes 367 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: on to refer to a statement in Japanese that translates 368 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: quote to the adored child send him on journeys. Alright, So, 369 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: so you've got six year olds walking up to an 370 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: hour with no adults supervision. Well, in most areas, the 371 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: PTA finds these retirees in the area and asked them 372 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: to come outside and you know, supervise the walkers, and 373 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: they have designated safe zone houses if any kids need 374 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: any sort of help. Well, if anything, I would have 375 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: to imagine this emphasis on walking would play at least 376 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: a little bit of a role in Japan having lower 377 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: rates of childhood obesity. Oh, it definitely does, all right. 378 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: So so you were saying that there's also this focus 379 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: on social responsibility, and this is something I feel like 380 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: I have seen a little bit about. Does this have 381 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: something to do with the fact that I've heard a 382 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: few times that they're no no janitors in Japanese schools? Yeah, 383 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: so you know, I'd heard that a lot too, And 384 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,360 Speaker 1: that's not exactly true about the no janitors things. So 385 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: most schools do have them, but they focus on the 386 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: more complicated repairs and in most cases also cleaned the bathrooms. 387 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: But yeah, that's the basic idea. So there's something called tokatsu, 388 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: and it's these are non cognitive activities that are used 389 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,479 Speaker 1: to develop the sense of social responsibility. And these include 390 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: the daily chores. The children are responsible for cleaning the classroom, 391 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: cleaning common areas, stuff like that, and this starts at 392 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: first grade, and students are required to bring their own 393 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: washcloths to help out with the cleaning. They'll clean for 394 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: about twenty minutes a day, and in one report I 395 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: saw during this time the school might play cheerful, marching 396 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 1: music and it's all over the sound system. But it's 397 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: to keep everyone energized at home. Yeah, And and to 398 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: be clear, this is not seen as any sort of punishment. 399 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's much more about this moral education 400 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: and learning to be responsible in a group. And as 401 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: you might guess, much of the stems from the Buddhist 402 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,719 Speaker 1: idea of purification and and the sense that cleaning is 403 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: not far off from a form of meditations. Interesting and 404 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: in addition to this, most schools don't have cafeterias, so 405 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: students in their teachers have lunch together in their classrooms 406 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: and in places where the schools are providing the food. 407 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: Students actually rotate through the responsibilities of serving others in 408 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 1: the class. I mean, I think that's great, But what 409 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: about the core classes themselves? I mean, I'm guessing this 410 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: is where we're going to see the biggest differences from Finland. 411 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: This is where Japan and Finland definitely take different approaches. 412 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: And this is the case whether we're talking about a 413 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: number of hours in school, the focus of the classes 414 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: in school, homework, even standardized testing. So let's talk about 415 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: the school hours first. For much of the twentieth century, 416 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: Japan followed a six day school week, and they've always 417 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: had a reputation for this very strict teaching methods with 418 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: like lots of rote memorization, and this six day school 419 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: week is something that's been fiercely debated over the past 420 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 1: few decades. In what way, Well, in the seventies and eighties, 421 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: people became more vocal about the amount of pressure being 422 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: placed on students in Japan, and in response, there was 423 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: this new educational system developed called you tori kyoku. I 424 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: know I'm pronouncing that wrong, exactly right, So this translates 425 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: roughly as quote pressure free education. You did say that, right, 426 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: which is kind of funny when you think of it 427 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: being applied in Japan. But there was this attempt to 428 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 1: replace some of that wrote learning with this move towards 429 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: more creative thinking and problem solving skills. And and on 430 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: top of all of that, the school week went from 431 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: six to five days in the nineties and did that 432 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: help some Well, it's tough to say what it did 433 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: for students stress levels. But it hasn't all gone smoothly. 434 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: And in fact, after the shift, Japan saw its scores 435 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: go down a bit on the International Achievement tests. So 436 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: many people want them to return to the six day weeks, 437 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: and in fact, in a survey a few weeks ago, 438 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 1: eighty six percent of parents in Tokyo were in favor 439 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: of returning to Saturday classes and only seven percent we're 440 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 1: actually opposed. That is incredible and I cannot see that 441 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: being the case here. Oh no, it wouldn't be. And 442 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 1: and there's definitely a moved to push back towards the 443 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: sixth day weeks. So in fact, there's a bit of 444 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: a loophole in the legislation which gives schools the opportunity 445 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: to teach classes on Saturdays if there's a special need. 446 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: So in two thousand and twelve, nearly half of elementary 447 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 1: schools and junior high schools were holding at least some 448 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 1: amount of Saturday classes, so they definitely spend far more 449 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,640 Speaker 1: time in the classroom than the students in Finland. Yeah, 450 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 1: and that's not the only additional time they're spending there. 451 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,400 Speaker 1: Because they have these highly competitive entrance exams and other 452 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: standardized tests. There's something called juku or or cram schools, 453 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: and they help students prepare for years for these exams. 454 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 1: Like these cram schools meet after school and on weekends 455 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: to help students prepare for future exams in math, science, English, 456 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: and we're talking kids as young as six or seven, 457 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: Like one report showed nearly twenty of elementary students and 458 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: almost half of junior high students attended some amount of 459 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 1: cram school. And these schools weren't cheap, like they cost 460 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 1: more than three thousand dollars per year in some cases. 461 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: And it isn't just juku like like one study showed 462 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: nearly seventy of students attending after school math lessons as well. 463 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: So so unlike in Finland where from a very young 464 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: age there's this huge focus on preparing for entrance exams 465 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: and standardized tests. I mean, it sounds so stressful. Yeah, 466 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,360 Speaker 1: despite some of the efforts to address the intense pressure, like, 467 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: it's definitely still a very real thing. I look at 468 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: these numbers here and it's like eight two percent of 469 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: Japanese students report being very worried about their grades in school. 470 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,640 Speaker 1: And there's some other issues that they should be addressing 471 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: as well, like bullying is actually an issue in Japan, 472 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: but it's a little different than in the US. It's 473 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: very much a group phenomena there where the entire class 474 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,679 Speaker 1: will gang up on one classmate and it's really sad. 475 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: It's it's like between the stress and the bullying. It's 476 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: thought to be the primary reason that teen suicide rates 477 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: spike on September one, which is the first day of school. 478 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: That's horrible. Yeah, And and for all the impressive test 479 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 1: scores and achievements, that's definitely a problem that needs to 480 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: be addressed. But I do want to finish the discussion 481 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: to Japan on a positive note. What you got unicycleicycle 482 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: that smile on everybody's face. So the majority of elementary 483 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: schools in Japan have unicycles on hand for kids to 484 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: ride during recess time. And it's because the Ministry of 485 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: Education shouldn't recommends that schools have these along with bamboo 486 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: stilt to help build core strength, right of course. I 487 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 1: mean they even have an all Japan elementary school competition 488 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: or a championship of unicycling. That's pretty awesome and definitely 489 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: a better way to end the discussion of Japan, you know. 490 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 1: But but hopefully they can successfully address some of the 491 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: issues you mentioned, because it does seem like there's certain 492 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,959 Speaker 1: things about you know, their focus on independence and a 493 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 1: desire to serve others that seem very good. But all right, 494 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break before we talk about a 495 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:41,679 Speaker 1: few other places. Our guest today is an education reporter 496 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: at u S News and World Report, and she's been 497 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: covering education policy and politics for nearly a decade now, 498 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 1: Lauren Camera, Welcome to Part Time Genius than so So, Lauren, 499 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 1: we're spending most of this episode talking about education systems 500 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: around the world. So far in this episode, we've talked 501 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,880 Speaker 1: about Finland and Mango just finished schooling us on Japan. 502 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: So now we want to talk a little bit about 503 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: the US. But it seems like that can be a 504 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: little bit challenging because, you know, rather than pointing to 505 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: a big national trend. It feels like you kind of 506 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: have to look at what all the states are doing 507 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: individually or independently. Would you say this is true? Yeah, absolutely, 508 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: I'd say that that's definitely true. Um. I often say that, 509 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: you know, there's not really one overarching trend, but rather 510 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 1: lots of states trying to do lots of different things 511 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: all the time. UM. Sometimes I like to joke that 512 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: in the USC education system loves its shiny new objects. 513 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 1: It upsets it a lot over you know, one thing, 514 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: and then it's quickly onto the next. Would you mind 515 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: telling us about a few of those shiniest ones. Well, 516 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: right now you might be seeing some of your kids 517 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: have later school start times for examples, uh schools, and 518 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: at least nineteen states that um I know of our 519 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: planning to start the school day later this year. This 520 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: is sort of a trend that's been happening the last 521 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: year or two, after the CDC released a report a 522 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,719 Speaker 1: couple of years ago just blatantly saying that kids are 523 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: not getting enough sleep and um that they're just starting 524 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: the school day to early. So you'll probably see that continue. 525 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: You also might see less homework. UM. There was a 526 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: recent survey in June by Morning consoled that pretty much 527 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: found that of American adults feel that, um, you know, 528 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: less than one hour of homework per day is pretty 529 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: much appropriate for elementary school students. So we've seen, for example, 530 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: there is a school district in Florida, I believe it's 531 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,919 Speaker 1: Marion County. The school superintendent recently issued a ban on 532 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: homework in thirty one of its elementary school. So you 533 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: might not see a hard line drawn like that everywhere, 534 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: but we might start to see a dip in homework assignments. Um. Also, 535 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: I would say, you know, the increased use of technology. 536 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: This has been a trend for the last couple of years, 537 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: but um it's actually a really interesting one. If you 538 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: look at the data. In twenties or team, only four 539 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: million students had access to broadband that was fast enough 540 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: that allowed them to use digital tablets in the classroom. 541 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 1: But now, just like four years later, that number has 542 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: pretty much catapulted to thirty nine point two million students 543 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: have that ability. Now, just to ask you about that, 544 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: your are you saying, just to clarify, is that access 545 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: in the classroom or access at home. That's access in 546 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: the classroom and at libraries okay, okay, So the ability 547 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: to do their work on those Yeah, yeah, that's largely 548 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: thanks to actually, believe it or not, a federal program 549 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: called e rate. It's probably one of the only federal 550 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: programs I can think of off the top of my 551 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: head that was conceived and is doing exactly what it's 552 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: supposed to do. So in the four short years you have, 553 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, thirty five million more students having that ability. 554 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: So it's pretty remarkable. Actually. You know, one other thing 555 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: that I could think of is that the probably be 556 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: an increased interest in making popular again vote tech programs, apprenticeships, 557 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: things like that, other technical skill courses as ways to 558 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: help build the so called skills gap that's getting a 559 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: lot of attention these days as well. Yeah. Now on 560 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: the homework front, is are these decisions based on studies 561 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: around the um effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of homework 562 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: or is it based on just kind of family needs 563 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,239 Speaker 1: of it? Do do you know why the trend does 564 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: seem to be moving in the direction of less homework 565 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: for students. I mean, I'm fully in favor of it, 566 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: I'm just curious why. Yeah, well, I've in the eleventh 567 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: month old sun. He's not really bringing home a lot 568 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 1: of homework yet, but he's falling behind already. Yeah, right, UM, 569 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: I think it's it's both based on you know, public polling, opinions, UM, 570 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: and also research that suggests, you know, a lot of 571 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: the learning is the most effective learning at least is 572 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: done in the classroom. Well, and is there anything else 573 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 1: that do you feel like we should know about right 574 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: now regarding education policy or or any other trends. Yeah, 575 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: it's probably um, you know, it's probably worth noting that 576 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: as a backdrop to the story. All states right now 577 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: are in the process of devising new education plans. This 578 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: is something that's required under the new federal Education Law, 579 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: the Every Students Sees Act, and those plans are in 580 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: the process of being okayed by the um Department of Education. 581 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: And that's really going to change how students in schools 582 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: are assessed and held accountable and will therefore have a 583 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 1: big impact on the classroom. Uh. You might, as a 584 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: parent start to see some of these changes this year, 585 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 1: perhaps things like greater access to art classes or a 586 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 1: p in IB classes, potentially STEM programs, and some states 587 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: are proposing to even pay more attention to socio emotional 588 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: health of students. That's very interesting. Well, I'm glad you're 589 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 1: here to read through all fifty of those plans so 590 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: that you cannot make sense of those for us. But 591 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 1: thanks so much for your terrific reporting and for joining 592 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,959 Speaker 1: us today on part Time Genius. Yeah, thanks so much 593 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: for having me. Welcome back to part Time Genius. We 594 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: were just wrapping up our discussion of Japan, but I 595 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 1: realized I had one more question, and that's because we've 596 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: been looking at two pretty different ends of the spectrum 597 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: in terms of time spent at school and after school 598 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: work and standardized testing, and we're talking about these are 599 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: kind of two ends of the spectrum. It's so, do 600 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 1: Japanese students spend more time on homework than all other countries? 601 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 1: Actually no, so that honor belongs to China. And it's 602 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: not even a close competition like the O E c 603 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: D looked at sixty five countries in a study a 604 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 1: few years ago, and Chinese students spend eight hundred thirty 605 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: one minutes per week on homework. My gosh, and that's 606 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: almost two minutes more than the next closest, which was 607 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: the Russian Federation. They spend five five minutes and only 608 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: a few other countries spent more than five minutes per 609 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: week on homework. And of course all of this is 610 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: more than four times what the kids in Finland are spending. Gosh. 611 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: In fact, almost high school students in China say they 612 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: typically finished their homework after eleven pm. Yeah, and it 613 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: sounds like this is another place where, you know, the 614 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: level of competition and stress must be so high. Definitely. So. 615 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: Just like Japan, China has some very high stakes tests 616 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 1: for their students. Like there's a huge nine hour college 617 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: entrance exam called the High Test. And unlike the s 618 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: A T where several students hit perfect scores every year, 619 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: no one has ever achieved a seven fifty, which is 620 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: the perfect score on this exam. And I guess this 621 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: exam is is really important for college entrance. Yeah, I 622 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: mean it's not just important, it's actually the only criteria 623 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: for getting into Chinese university. Yeah. It's so competitive there 624 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: that the top universities may only select one out of 625 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: fifty students. Oh my god, that's crazy. And you know 626 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: we sit here thinking that the U S schools are 627 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: a competitive Yeah, no kidding. And and this exam is 628 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,760 Speaker 1: so important that can have this major impact on students 629 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:12,359 Speaker 1: future career and even their marital status. But I think 630 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: the craziest part about the exam maybe the prompts used 631 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: in the writing section. So according to an article in 632 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 1: The Guardian, two of the prompts from the two thousand 633 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: and fifteen exam included quote do butterfly wings have colors? 634 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:29,800 Speaker 1: And quote who do you admire most? A biotechnology researcher, 635 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 1: a welding engineer, technician or a photographer. I'd like to 636 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: turn in my essay on that first one. The answer 637 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 1: would just be yes. But it seems like there would 638 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: have to be a breaking point for all of this 639 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: one day. Well that's already kind of starting to happen, 640 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 1: though not really in this seismic way, but you definitely 641 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: see fewer students taking the exam and just opting to 642 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: go to school abroad, and and then others are starting 643 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 1: to go to vocational schools, which tend to be less competitive. 644 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: I mean, I doubt the entrance exam is contributing much 645 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,919 Speaker 1: to gross national happiness. I mean, if they're measuring that there, 646 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 1: I kind of doubt that they are. I told you 647 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 1: I was going to bring this one back up, but 648 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: but let's go back to Bhutan's It was really fun 649 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 1: reading about the implementation of this program. And so it's 650 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,880 Speaker 1: focused on four primary pillars. So there's sustainable development, preservation 651 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 1: and promotion of culture, conservation of the environment, and good governance. 652 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: And then to measure their progress, Bhutan developed an index 653 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 1: in two thousand and eight that would quote reflect g 654 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: n H values, set benchmarks, and track policies and performance 655 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: of the country. So the way they set these benchmarks 656 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: and track all of this is through this index that 657 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: includes nine domains their psychological well being, time use, community, vitality, culture, health, education, 658 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: environmental diversity, living standard, and governance. You got all those 659 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 1: I got, But you know, I mean, like the whole 660 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: four pillars and nine domains thing. It sounds so Buddhist, 661 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 1: like it reminds me of the Four Noble Truths and 662 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: the eight Full path. I love the way you say 663 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: Buddhis But that's because it really is rooted in Buddhist 664 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 1: philosophy and and and that's no big surprise because Bhutan 665 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 1: is majority Buddhist. And in fact, in two thousand ten 666 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: they began requiring schools to make time for daily meditation. 667 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: But even back on the education side of me, there's 668 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: there's another interesting piece of this. So with their focus 669 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 1: on education and all their efforts to provide primary schooling 670 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:26,399 Speaker 1: for everyone and increase the literacy rate, Bhutan is seeing 671 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 1: some pretty significant results. I mean, they're not going to 672 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: be on the same top list that Finland and Japan 673 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: are in terms of all of their scores, but what 674 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,239 Speaker 1: they've accomplished is still really impressive. So just just looking 675 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: at some of the numbers for literacy, actually, let me 676 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,759 Speaker 1: pull these back up. It says in two thousand five, 677 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: the literacy rate for those sixty five and older was 678 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 1: about for men and only five percent for women. But 679 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: if you look at the fifteen to twenty four age 680 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: range at that point, it was eight percent for men 681 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: and sixty eight percent for women. But then fast forward 682 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,040 Speaker 1: seven years to two thousand and twelve, looking at that 683 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty four year old age group, again, it 684 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:07,080 Speaker 1: jumped to for men and almost for women. I mean, 685 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:10,640 Speaker 1: these are some huge games. Yeah, it's incredible, So maybe 686 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: focusing on gross national happiness isn't such a silly idea. 687 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: But you know what else is incredible? The part time 688 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 1: genius backed off. All right, I'll kick us off here. 689 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 1: So earlier when we were talking about all students receiving 690 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,200 Speaker 1: free school lunches in Finland, I'm not sure if you 691 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: saw the story, but this will now be happening in 692 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: New York City. Earlier this year in New York announced 693 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: the program to provide free lunches to all public school kids, 694 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 1: which is great. So looking at a country we didn't 695 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: really talk about today, do you know that in France 696 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 1: schools are working to teach children not to be picky 697 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 1: eaters through this thing called taste training lester So in 698 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: two thousand eleven this became part of their national curriculum, 699 00:37:55,960 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 1: and Karenlebillion, author of French Kids Eat Everything, told warts 700 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: quote the French take a different approach to food from 701 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 1: a very young age. They believe and have done scientific 702 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: research to prove that you can teach your kids to 703 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:10,880 Speaker 1: eat just like you teach them to read. And according 704 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: to the report, young kids are expected to learn how 705 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: to enjoy such delicacies as pickled pig snouts. So I'd 706 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:18,840 Speaker 1: like to see them trying to get my kids the 707 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: eat the host gross. Actually, I had a fact here 708 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 1: about education in France as well, and I didn't know 709 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: that Traditionally, French children have only gone to school four 710 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,000 Speaker 1: days a week, and it's Wednesday that's kind of their 711 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: special day with no school. And this dates back to 712 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,319 Speaker 1: the late eighteen hundreds when this day was reserved for 713 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: religious education, and in the seventies it became a mandatory 714 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 1: day off. But in the past decade or so it's 715 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: turned into this heated debate. To go back to two 716 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: thousand eight, Nicholas Sarkozy mandated the elimination of classes held 717 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 1: on Saturday, which some schools were kind of using to 718 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,800 Speaker 1: make up for that day off, and mandated they returned 719 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: to this four day week. So then a few years 720 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,920 Speaker 1: later Francois Holland instituted a half day on Wednesday, so 721 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,160 Speaker 1: became four and a half day school week. And then 722 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: early in his term, Emmanuel Macron informed schools that they 723 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:08,439 Speaker 1: would have the option of going back to the four 724 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: day week if they so desired. That's amazing. So, speaking 725 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: of recent announcements, something I forgot to mention, we were 726 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: talking about Japan. According to the Japan Times quote this year, 727 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: the Ministry of Education announced they would be adding the 728 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: teaching of a second language at all elementary schools and 729 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: so while he might be thinking English, it's actually computer 730 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 1: programming languages. So as part of the language curriculum update 731 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 1: to be completed by all students will be taught coding 732 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,439 Speaker 1: in schools. Wow, okay, alright, Well, in Russia, September one 733 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: is known as Knowledge Day and it's the celebration of 734 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:44,319 Speaker 1: the beginning of school and it's accompanied by lots and 735 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:47,000 Speaker 1: lots of ceremony. So at the end of the ceremony, 736 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 1: a first grade girl sits on the shoulders of a 737 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,239 Speaker 1: senior boy and then she rings a bell to signify 738 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: the start of the year. I had no idea what 739 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:57,840 Speaker 1: that means, but it sounds very like, of course, she 740 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: sits on the shoulders and rings a and it's time 741 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 1: to start school. So I have to admit I saved 742 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: this one for last. In two thousand to nonprofits started 743 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 1: by Hilula Swan of our I'm sure I'm getting that 744 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:16,799 Speaker 1: good job created the first boat based school in Bangladesh. 745 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,879 Speaker 1: And so you might be wondering why. It's because so 746 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,920 Speaker 1: much of the country is often flooded during the monsoon season. 747 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,600 Speaker 1: It makes it very difficult for many kids to get 748 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 1: to school. And with a boat based school, the school 749 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: comes to them. So by there were twenty two of 750 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: these floating schools. And it's amazing because the school really 751 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:37,160 Speaker 1: also serves as a school bus by traveling around and 752 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,200 Speaker 1: picking up the students. And after all the students are collected, 753 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 1: the boat docks and and the school they begins, I know, 754 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,800 Speaker 1: and the boats have internet access and they've got solar 755 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:49,000 Speaker 1: panels to make it all possible. And the Bill and 756 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:52,360 Speaker 1: Melinda Gates Foundation have given it a million dollars to 757 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 1: build more boats and improve the technology. It's really phenomenal. 758 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:59,000 Speaker 1: And uh, it isn't just there so inspired by this, 759 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:01,960 Speaker 1: you can actually find schools in other countries prone to flooding. 760 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 1: So these occur in Cambodia and Nigeria, the Philippines, Vietnam 761 00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:08,719 Speaker 1: and Zambia as well. Now I see why you say that, 762 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:10,839 Speaker 1: one mango, I have to admit that that is an 763 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,840 Speaker 1: incredible fact and and be honest, worthy of this week's trophy. 764 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: So congratulations, that's it for today's show. Thanks so much 765 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 1: for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is 766 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,240 Speaker 1: a production of how stuff works and wouldn't be possible 767 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 1: without several brilliant people who do the important things we 768 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 1: couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. 769 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 1: Noel Brown made the theme song and does the MIXI 770 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 1: mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. 771 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,680 Speaker 1: Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the 772 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 1: Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams 773 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:56,920 Speaker 1: and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. 774 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,040 Speaker 1: Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, we 775 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:01,200 Speaker 1: hope you'll subscribe, And if you really really like what 776 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,359 Speaker 1: you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review for us. 777 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 1: Do we do? We forget Jason? Jason who