Monster Parents

Principal's Suicide Brings Home the Tragedy

Hosoyama-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
The principal of Mizutani Preschool committed suicide by self-immolation after being hounded by repeated unreasonable demands from parents, in the latest case of a phenomenon becoming known across Japan as "Monster Parents".

"Don't let my child be friends with that mother's child."
"Tell my kid not to play games with them."
How to cope with such demands is now an urgent topic of discussion at elementary and middle schools.

The prefectural education department has responded by announcing that they will produce a handbook of case studies outlining how to deal with the problem of "unreasonable parents" by March, as well as promising increased support for troubled schools.

"My child doesn't get along with that child so don't put them in the same class."
"My kid's going crazy in the house. Get over here now!"
An investigation by the department's personnel section through teachers in the prefecture's cities, towns and villages revealed several cases of parents repeatedly making outrageous demands.
"Parents nowadays don't know how to act the part, so schools have become a kind of tellers window for problems." said a personnel section official.

"There is a growing number of cases where school management refuse to become involved, instead leaving the issue to class teachers who find themselves increasingly unable to cope with the mounting pressure", said an unnamed education department official.
"There is a need for school organizations to become more involved in confronting the problem."

By Natsuko Koide, from the Saitama Shimbun, January 10, 2008

Translated by Paul Bartels