Why are student council members in Japan - or at least in anime - stereotyped as stuck-up, stubborn, high-achievers? And exactly how much power do Japanese student councils have?
Take Clannad and Kanon, for example.
In the Clannad
visual novel, they scorn Okazaki when he tries to help Nagisa and taunt him after Tomoyo gets elected, calling him a burden to her ambitions. And in Kanon, the council president is a rich celebrity who turns up his nose at Yuuichi and throws insults at Mai.
This would not have been possible in any of the schools I have attended. I've gone to school in
three countries: Hong Kong, the US and the UK. Everywhere I went, I could sum up student councils as follows...
1. Elected by a popularity contest. Usually the silliest candidates win.
2. NEVER, EVER do high achievers stand for election. Even if they do, their chance of winning is ZERO because classmates see them as nerds.
3. On the other hand, members are usually friendly people because - well - they have the most friends so they got elected in the first place, right? It's close to IMPOSSIBLE for an unpleasant snob to be elected.
4. Finally, the council is always powerless. The most they can do is negotiate with teachers and administrative staff. They can't hand out punishments - prefects and teachers do that. The council is usually willing to approve clubs; they're willing to say 'yes' to anything students want.
So, back to Japan...
- Why are Japanese student councils so different?
- How are high-achievers and snobs able to be elected (is there a different mentality amongst the students)?
- Do they assume powers usually held by teachers, staff and prefects (appointed by teachers) in other countries? And how are they able to do so without suffering a backlash from their peers who were responsible for electing them?
Thanks for pondering my question. I'd appreciate a response for someone who's actually been to secondary school in Japan
