Learning Space and Cats
Students sit at their desks, writing with all their might. At a small cram school in Ibusuki City, located at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, Kureyon, a female cat, watches over the children, from elementary school students to high school students, as their "principal."
"He'll wander into the classroom during class and stare at the students from the podium, or take a nap in the corner, or sometimes climb onto a desk and get in the way (laughs)."
This is what Shogaku Juku representative Hideki Yamamoto said. He first encountered Crayon in 2016, while he was traveling in Kumamoto on his day off.
"I found a kitten curled up on the road near my inn. I kept an eye on it, hoping that its mother would return, but there was no sign of it. I couldn't abandon it, so I begged the inn to let me take care of it for just one night. After spending time with it, I grew attached to it, and that's how I ended up bringing it home. I named it 'Crayon' after the name of the inn that treated me so kindly."
Crayon grew up healthily, helped by the kindness of Sho-kun, the previous principal, a male cat whom Yamamoto rescued when the school opened in 2013. When Sho-kun passed away due to illness, Crayon was appointed the second principal in 2018.
Could this carefree teasing also help improve the concentration of test-taking students?
Currently, in addition to Kureyon, there are three other staff cats. They are not kept in cages and are free to roam the classrooms and hallways, snuggling up to their favorite bags, walking briskly between desks, and spending their time in their own way.
"Not only does it provide a place for students to relax, but it also creates a space for students who are bored during breaks and provides an opportunity for students who have difficulty opening up to each other. On the other hand, as exams approach, students no longer mind if a cat comes and disturbs them next to them. It may also help to improve their concentration (laughs)."
