So, recently I have been coming across a lot about the pair Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin, their old friendship, their “Bromance” and what not, so I decided to watch School 2013 casting both of them and all the previous shows (anime included) which I have watched till now which focus on students’ problems ran through my mind. This time I’m not here to do a review of School 2013 or any of the dramas I’ve tagged here, as a matter of fact. But will just do my usual rambling on the issues these dramas raise. So if you are here to know more about the dramas, I’m warning you, you won’t find any specific information.

First let me list out the dramas and anime I’m going to talk about – School 2013, Dream High, God of Study, Great Teacher Onizuka (also called GTO is j-drama, a movie as well as anime) Gokusen and I My Me Strawberry Eggs. I may have watched more too but right now these are the only names I remember. My first drama related to this genre was GTO, a J-drama in which the teacher is an ex-delinquent. At that time I thought, “Yeah. Alright. They made something good. At least someone thinks about students.” The God of Study totally blew me away. It basically teaches you how to deal with stress and is great for learning techniques in the rote learning environment of South Korea. The way they used to do their study sessions was amazing. It inspired me a lot too. (I kept it for almost one year in my laptop but due to space problems I had to delete it). Dream High shows a different aspect. It basically goes around an art school called Kirin High where they not only focus on studies but is especially for students who want to go out of the way to become artists, more in the field of entertainment. Gokusen has waaay too much similarities with GTO and the plot of School 2013 has been spun around the same theme but includes teachers’ problems also (and the teachers are not former delinquents, at least one of them). I my me is a cute anime with basic story of love between a student and a teacher but it focuses on interclass fightings and stress related to it also.

So basically they talk about the following problems:

• Children have a lot of stress due to competition they have to face in near future and the course structures followed in the respective countries.
• On the top of that, parents don’t back off without giving them more stress and keep involving in their matters unnecessarily.
• Rich parents not only put extra pressure and force their choices over their children, just to maintain their reputation in society, they even interfere in school administration and try to manipulate the policies according to their wishes.
• Children want to share their pain with someone but don’t have enough courage.
• Ultimately, kids give in to stress and this leads to them attempting suicide and such extreme measures or bad habits and generally they belong to what you call ‘the cream layer’ (and that is a fact)

There may be more points (add them in comments if you want) but these are the major problems I find. First two points are valid for most of the cases in India as well and I assume in other countries too. About third point I don’t know much because neither I have seen such associations involving such parents in my school, nor my parents are rich to do such things. Though, may be, the so called “rich” parents do such things since society has been divided ike that and powerful people do tend to misuse their powers but I don’t have any recollection of such incidents in my time (my memory is short lived, you see). Again, who has gone to school and not gone through the period in fourth point? We have heard a lot about fact in fifth point but in India, more suicides occur due to other reasons other than related to studies, at least in school.

Now coming to the points, it’s true, we have a lot of competition. Everybody is working hard, so much, that you feel depressed if you are left behind in your friends’ circle (You don’t? Don’t kid me. I know it happens, just takes time to realize). I used to cry over this thing. When I joined my coaching (like prep school) for engineering entrance exams, I couldn’t catch up because there were children from other schools also and they were really talented and hardworking. I, on the other hand, had first time stepped out in the world like this (I never took any extra tuition before my 11th grade). I wasn’t good till the end but I did it in real exams though. So, I used to literally cry over my marks in weekly tests because I didn’t stand anywhere in handful of students, how could I compete against lacs of students sitting for the exam every year? But I kept working and did alright, actually better than some of the people who were sure shot successes in coaching institutes. I’m not trying to brag, this time seriously, just that it all comes to how you perform in real life situation. The major thing I came to realize was that after you have learnt whatever you could and applied to problems, in the end, your patience and ability to concentrate in tense atmospheres come into play. Every one learns the same things and everybody has got the same brain (with exceptions, no offence though). Hardwork does matter and so do a lot of other factors.

Parents will never stop worrying and you can’t do anything about it. True, it’s bad when parents try to impose their opinions. I have seen many cases before my eyes, where parents forced their children to take engineering or medical studies, their kids failed and had to ultimately migrate to other streams. First they should see their child’s mind and will to study. just to keep their head high in society, they shouldn’t make their child suffer. And it’s not like other professions are bad. You can earn more than an engineer by being a good professor in some very common subject too (I’m going to be an engineer soon too, so don’t take it other wise if you already are or are studying engineering).  But you know what? Parents act based on what they hear. It’s basically the lack of knowledge. They come across only popular things. So if you try to calmly tell your wishes with good examples, may be they will try to understand. In my case, even I didn’t have any knowledge about things so I blindly followed what others were doing. Now, I think otherwise but I can’t do anything about that. But, perhaps, my parents will be more understanding in my sibling’s case and I’m going to fully support her.

Now, talking about sharing problems, my opinion is, competition does change people. In India, till now, there wasn’t any trend of counselling and all in schools. Nor there are things like homerooms or self study sessions (Exceptions are always there. As a matter of fact, many schools are adopting these things but even so, school hours are not that long). So the relationship between students and teachers is more formal here. All we had were our peers and they too, sometimes cut off themselves from you. Then, you have to live alone. All you can do is either endure and make the emotions your driving force to reach your goal or just cry silently in one corner of your room when you know no one is coming. But if you have someone to talk to, sure do. It will help release a lot of things which can adversely affect you and help you calm down. That person is not necessary to be your teacher, your siblings, parents, cousins (and tell you what, even your pet, a non living sculpture and if you believe, then God too) will do. Just vent it out.

As for suicide, I would just say, it’s cowardice. Running away from problems and throwing away your life for no reason is bad, real bad. I mean, at most what will happen? People will insult you, will call you names and you will be embarrassed. What I feel is, more people commit suicide because of the fear of society’s thinking towards them. They are not who make your life, you are……… Ah! What am I doing preaching here? Anyways, it’s hard for everyone. And this is what these dramas show.

Ahhhh!! My eyes are hurting now after sitting for whole day on my laptop. I think I’ll stop here for today.

Here are the links if you want to try any of the above mentioned series –

Great Teacher onizuka (J-Drama)

Gokusen (J-Drama)

School 2013 (K-Drama)

God of Study (K-Drama)

I My Me Strawberry Egg (Anime)

Great Teacher Onizuka (Anime)