Japanese Schools Want Nintendo DS in Curriculum

Starting this January, ten Japanese elementary and middle schools will be distributing Nintendo DS systems to their students as educational tools.

Obviously the kids won't be playing Pokemon in class, with the DSs being intended strictly for "educational software" purposes. Exactly which software will be implemented in the program is unclear, though there are an abundance of third party educational titles available in Japan that focus on language learning and kanji practice.

The measure was passed by the Osaka Board of Education, meaning the DSs will be distributed by the school and that they will be paid for with Japanese tax payer money. This unorthodox use of education money has left some residents upset, perhaps understandably so. While distributing the DSs might seem like a way to appeal to the tech sensibilities of the youth, they seem as likely to be a distraction as they are an aide. Given that the Japanese economy is hurting as much as everyone else's at the moment, giving money to a company that isn't exactly strapped for cash like Nintendo seems unnecessary.

Why the school didn't opt for something designed solely as an educational device, like LeapFrog or its Japanese equivalent, is somewhat boggling. Picking a device that's primarily a game system seems like the school board is leaving itself wide open to a mob of angry parental complaints. Depending on how it's handled though, it's actions like these that can open people up to the idea of videogames being able to do more than just mindlessly entertain.

Source: Japanator (via Kotaku)

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o.0

What... I mean just...

What?

GHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!

...gaaasp... gaaasp...

HHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA OH MY FREAKIN LORD!!

Seriously, is this a joke? I want my laptop as an educational tool!

So wait, only for caligraphy? That's just stupid. It's almost like using PC just to play ga... Yeah.

Well, it's certainly out there. At least they're not thinking of taxing videogames, like here in the good old fucked up UK.

Christ, like Nintendo didn't already have a license to print money with that thing!

Something tells me gaming is going to be okay for the next few generations.

Its not that bad an idea though, i mean there is a pretty large amount of educational games for a DS in the UK, and its likely there are even more which never made it overseas.

But they certainly will have to deal with a lot of ranting parents, though doesn't that happen with most noticable changes?

Japan must be a wonderful place to initiate crazy school reforms in, because no matter how stupid the system is no one will ever be held accountable save for the students :)

It's just another hurdle they need to get past.

Japan is always at the incredibly awesome cutting edge. First talking toilets, now this.
*jealous :S*

It seems somebody forgot about pictochat. The new way to pass notes in class.

Why not just have Nintendo DONATE the things for this purpose. Free PR, free DS's, everyone wins.

In my day, we weren't even allowed calculators in class...

Roflcakes'n'sauce!

This is actually interesting. I know Japanese people can be a bit quirky (by some people's standards) but i never thought they'd be proactive about it. Their society is one of craziness built around structure, and it's amazing that they've actually evolved into a society in which the crazies start to actually challenge the structure. You know what's gonna happen? Half the society will start supporting crazy-change in the structure, and other people will be conservative, the society will be polarized and Japan as we know it will totally change.

And Jack Thompson goes beserk!

So, how many of those kids would actually be getting something they don't already have?

So, what's the problem? The DS is probably cheaper than a comparable education-only system and higher quality than equally priced ones, never mind it has a large variety of software that can be used so if one implementation is lacking it can be replaced fairly easily. Plus it's probably more appealing to the kids than some crappy educational system like that Vtech stuff. Why should they go for some specialist system instead that only runs one or two pieces of software and any shortcomings in those will have to be accepted?

Yes, Nintendo doesn't need any govt help but sometimes the govt needs certain products and buys them from the company that makes them. There's no real point in Nintendo donating them either, if they did it'd look more like an attempt to foist games on the schools, this way the schools actually stated that they think the DS is a tool for education (as opposed to a pure gaming system). Nintendo can donate the things to hospitals that use videogames to rehabilitate patients instead or something, some place where the game part is the primary use rather than a side effect.

*moves to japan*

Rodger:
In my day, we weren't even allowed calculators in class...

Yeah. I'm in high school and this is the first time we can use them.

Maybe because they FINALLY noticed that adding numbers is not a skill.

Pshhhh i dont need a ds in class...

I just whip out my Ipodtouch and play on that

I'm moving to Japan now, thanks see you all later.