Latest news with #discipline
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Japan's corporate boot camps enlist military discipline to drill soft skills
Japanese companies are once again sending fresh recruits to boot camps run by the military in a bid to instil teamwork, discipline and basic social skills that many believe were lost during the pandemic-era shift to online learning and remote work. The 'enlistment experience' programmes, operated by Japan 's Self-Defence Forces (SDF), simulate aspects of military life – from dawn roll-calls and mess hall etiquette to marching drills and group exercises – and are seeing a revival after plummeting during the Covid-19 pandemic. Between 2015 and the start of the pandemic, the Ground – as the land warfare branch of Japan's military is – organised between 1,200 and 1,700 such sessions annually, according to the Ground Staff Office. That number fell to about 100 during the height of the health crisis, but has since rebounded to nearly 400 a year, the Asahi newspaper reported. The Air and Maritime branches of Japan's military have also resumed their versions of the programme, though they do not track corporate participation. New recruits practise squad drills during a Self-Defence Forces 'enlistment experience' session, where synchronised movement and following orders are key training elements. Photo: Japan Self-Defence Force Companies that have embraced the scheme say the goal is not to militarise employees, but to address a widening soft-skills gap among young people who missed out on in-person socialisation during critical formative years. Nissan Motor Kyushu, a car manufacturer based in Kanda, Fukuoka prefecture, has sent new employees to SDF training for the past two years.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Parents are burned out and lonely. Are our rigid rules making it worse?
My friend Melissa has the voice of a principal you don't want to cross: calm, steady and, sometimes, dripping with disapproval. One Wednesday night, I watched her use it on my son. 'Ollie. Down.' He was scaling her mid-century modern table mid-game of tag, seconds from toppling a plant onto her Persian rug. In our house, that behavior might have earned a warning or maybe a plea to take the game to his room. But at Melissa's, it crossed a line, and he knew it.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
More than 200 pupils are suspended from school in three weeks amid crackdown on behaviour - but parents claim the new measures are 'extreme'
A Catholic school in Merseyside has suspended more than 200 children in just three weeks after launching a dramatic clampdown on poor behaviour. St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston, near Liverpool, has brought in a swathe of tough disciplinary policies as part of a drive to improve standards resulting in mass suspensions and isolations for offences ranging from refusing to hand over mobile phones to wearing make-up and nail varnish. The controversial measures are part of the school's plan to move beyond its current Ofsted rating of 'requires improvement'. But the sharp spike in punishments has triggered uproar among some parents, who have blasted the crackdown as 'extreme' and claimed it is damaging pupils' mental health. One father, who asked not to be named, said: 'I am finding the reasonings for the punishments to be minor and, in my opinion, not befitting of a day in isolation and/or suspension.' He added: 'In my opinion the school is not tackling the root cause and are not considering reasons for children or their behaviours on individual merit… it appears to be a new blanket policy and dishing out punishments.' The dad warned the new system was leaving children 'anxious and worried about going to school,' adding: 'Right now there are mass isolations, mass suspensions and mass numbers of pupils missing valuable time in the classroom, therefore affecting their learning.' It's understood that the school issued 99 suspensions in the first week of the new policy alone, followed by 67 in the second week and 36 in the third - a total of 202 in just 21 days. While the school has welcomed the downward trend as a sign pupils are beginning to respond, parents say the pace and scale of the clampdown is wreaking havoc on family life. Another parent, Sammy Rhead, said: 'They suspend for refusing to hand over bracelets, for refusing to hand over phones, having lashes on or makeup.' Mother-of-two, Lexi Sharp revealed: 'My daughter is getting suspended every day because I refuse to go to a meeting over nail varnish. That happened a week ago.' She added: 'I've worked with the school, but enough is enough. I even get detention messages for her while she's suspended. They told my daughter, 'when your mum does come in for a meeting, you will be in isolation'.' Debate has erupted on local Facebook groups, with some parents accusing the school of running it like an 'army camp'. One parent said: 'They actually don't let the children breathe. The phone calls I get are for silly things. They're not in the army. They have their own characters. Unless their behaviour is very disturbing, teachers should be able to deal with it.' But others supported the hardline approach, with one commenting: 'It's about time the schools clamped down. Some kids run riot.' The school, which is part of the Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, has seen major leadership changes in recent years. Headteacher Lee Peachey and deputy head Anna Kenny mysteriously disappeared from their roles last year with no explanation ever given and both remain off-duty, though still listed on the school's website. In their place, acting headteacher Clare McKenna has been leading the latest reforms in collaboration with the Education Exchange – a national education network that advises on behaviour management. Ms McKenna defended the policy shift, insisting it was necessary to 'raise the bar' and instil a new culture of respect. She said: 'Since our recent Ofsted inspection… we have achieved a great deal, and progress has been made.' She added: 'We spent a great deal of time looking at how best we could overcome [hurdles], and in response we have… developed some additional targeted approaches. This has resulted in us raising the bar in terms of what we expect of all our pupils.' Despite the backlash, she insisted most pupils had responded positively: 'The school is even calmer and more focused – and the feedback we are getting from students is hugely positive.' Acknowledging the spike in suspensions, she said: 'There has been a significant drop (of about two-thirds) in things like short-term exclusions. We expect this trajectory to continue.' The school is also trying to recognise pupils meeting expectations: 'It is not just about sanctions,' said Ms McKenna. 'We are doing more to celebrate those students who are working hard and thriving.' She concluded: 'Ultimately, we all want the very best for our brilliant pupils. Behaviour is improving, children are happier and learning is more focused.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Hansi Flick's ultra-strict 10 rules all Barcelona players must follow as Marcus Rashford completes Nou Camp transfer
MARCUS RASHFORD is closing in on his dream move to Barcelona but if he is to succeed he will have to follow 10 strict rules. Hansi Flick has been in charge at Barca for a year and guided the club to three trophies last season, including the league and cup double. 2 But he did so by installing discipline and he makes his squad adhere to ultra strict rules, such as arriving at training 90 minutes early. According to Spanish publication AS, that is one of 10 rules Flick's players live by, and Rashford will have to adapt quickly if he wants to hit the ground running. He will have to get used to Flick's intense training sessions, which often last 90 minutes. While on matchday there are warm up sessions players are required to take part in, which previous manager Xavi had scrapped following complaints. There are several rules on game day, with players also told to meet at the team hotel ahead of every match - Flick is keen to avoid "unpleasant surprises". Players are restricted to just one day off a week with Flick demanding almost all of their time. He tries to maintain a professional relationship with his players, and he grants them the respect to sustain their levels of discipline without resorting to fines. Flick also instructs his players to eat food prepared by nutritionist Silvia Tremoleda at the club's Ciutat Esportiva canteen. And stars are required to take part in a daily weigh-in to keep a close eye on their fitness levels. Fitness and recovery is key for Flick, so much so he has scrapped late night flights after away games - another change Rashford will have to get used to. The England star has agreed a loan move to Barcelona and has touched down in the Spanish city following an arduous journey that saw him diverted and delayed.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Luke Shuey's high praise for Harley Reid despite controversial start to AFL career
Joel Selwood. Trent Cotchin. Luke Hodge. That's the level West Coast assistant Luke Shuey believes Harley Reid will reach in the coming years, as the midfielder grapples with scrutiny over how he approaches the game. Reid has been cited 13 times by the Match Review Officer, in just 37 career matches, and has been suspended for two games. He's also been fined more than $26,000 in his less than two seasons in the AFL, after West Coast snagged him with the number one pick in the draft. It marks a rocky start to his career after West Coast used the first selection in the national draft to pick Shuey offered a staunch defence of Reid's approach. "He's just so passionate and he's really old-school in the sense that he just loves playing with his mates and he loves winning," Shuey told ABC Radio Perth's Sports Talk program. "I don't think there's any easy fix right now. I think his footy IQ is through the roof. "He's one of the smartest kids I've seen walk through the door." Despite glimpses of brilliance in his short career, much of the focus on Reid has been his ill-discipline on the field while he's also been criticised for not being fit enough for AFL football. But Shuey said that the 20-year old would mature. "He'll learn where the line is, where he can push it so far to get away with things, and things that you can't do," he said. "At the moment, everyone is talking about how much it's costing our team every now and then, but I think it's going to be his greatest strength." The former Eagles captain and Norm Smith Medallist likened Reid's approach to the game to that of Selwood, Cotchin and Hodge — three players considered among the modern greats. "In three or four years his leadership is going to be that of Joel Selwood and Trent Cotchin and Luke Hodge. "You play against those blokes on the field, and not a lot of people know this because they knew how to get away with it, but they had an edge to them. "You turn your back on them at the wrong time and they would find a way to get you, and get away with it. "It was because they were so keen on winning, and Harley's the same as that. "He's going to be a great leader for us over a long period of time." Reid is contracted to West Coast for next year, and is expected to entertain big offers from interstate sides at the end of next season.
