the gals' school puts up a school play once every 2 years... and how fortunate they are to have this opportunity to be involved..!
each grade (aka level) puts up a short play... about 20min... and everyone is involved... that's what i especially like about the japanese culture... even the foreign students... they are each given a line... or sometimes more to say on stage...
the gals have been practising a lot at home... they seem to be able to recite the whole play..! it's amazing how much japanese they are spurting now... hubby and i are just so glad that we have placed them in a local public school...
parents were invited to watch the play today... and so... hubby and i went to give them the support...
when i was there... i absolutely understood nothing..! but i learnt a lot... as i observed how the whole play was put together... i cant help but feel that our kids in singapore are just so sheltered... maybe too privileged... to the extent they do not learn other life skills... =P
it was not as organised as the school play that my school put up last year... not so 'kilat'... not so pro... parents did not sit through the 6 plays... they would come jsut before their kid's play... and leave after the curtains close for the play...
even though there were no ushers... everyone seemed to know what to do... parents were telephoned the previous night (via a phone chain)... informing us that photography and video can only be taken at the designated area... marked out right at the back of the hall...
and really... no one... absolutely no one was seen taking a picture... nor videoing in their seats...
oh... did i mention that there were no mics..? yep... even with all the moving about of the parents... we could hear what was going on on stage... not only the children performing knew how to project their voices... discipline off-stage was also amazing...
and as i observed... there was no teacher around to do stuff for the children...
the props were rolled on and off stage... by students... even the spotlights were controlled by the students..! they took turns... if it was not their turn to appear on stage during their play... they would be manning the light...
back at home... we'd probably see the teachers scurrying from place to place to make sure that everything was in order... from ushering to technical stuff...
oh... no projector... nor laptop too... they used mahjong paper... to show what the title of the next play would be...
another amazing thing that struck me was when rachelle's class started to sing the final song... there were abt... maybe 50 children on stage... and they were LOUD..! no mics..! so lively... so happy...
i whispered to hubby... if there were just as many singapore kids up there... you wouldnt hear a thing without a mic...
among other observations... i can see how the students really own the play... how much pride they have... to do their part well... sometimes it's even not their job... they take it upon themselves to ensure that the play goes on smoothly...
so our education system... one of the best in the world..?
well... academically... maybe...
wholistically..? creatively..? life-skills..?
maybe still a long way to go...
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