Japanese television personality Sayuri is drawing renewed attention for her unique approach to her son’s education.
Recently, various online communities in South Korea have been abuzz with discussions surrounding Sayuri’s comments about her son’s language education, which were made earlier this year.
The comments stem from her appearance on YouTuber Jang Young Ran’s channel in late March. When asked about Korea’s intense academic culture, Sayuri remarked, “In Korea, children study a lot of languages.”
She continued, “They focus heavily on English, but I want my son to speak Korean perfectly. We speak Japanese at home, so if he only speaks English outside, his Korean will suffer. He’s just starting to learn English, and I even wrote a letter to his English kindergarten teacher.”
Sayuri revealed that she opposes homework for her son: “I wrote, ‘I’m proud of my son for not doing homework, so please don’t send him any. Otherwise, he might start to dislike English. If his curiosity fades, he’ll stop learning altogether.’”
Sayuri’s son, Zen, is reportedly already familiar with five languages. He speaks Japanese, Chinese, English, and Korean, and is said to be developing an interest in Spanish. Sayuri has also arranged private Chinese tutoring for him to support his linguistic development.
However, some netizens and parents have questioned the compatibility of Sayuri’s philosophy with the curriculum of a structured English kindergarten. Critics argue that it’s unreasonable to ask a school not to assign homework, especially when it is part of the program’s educational goals.
Comments from online users include:
“I understand her philosophy, but maybe homeschooling is a better option if she disagrees with the school’s teaching methods.”
“There are kindergartens that don’t assign homework. Perhaps that would be a better fit.”
“It’s unfair to the teacher and to other kids. If everyone else is doing homework, one child being exempt creates inconsistency. School is also about learning to live in a community.”
Sayuri gave birth to Zen in November 2020, after receiving a sperm donation from a Western donor via a Japanese sperm bank. She first introduced her son to the public on KBS’s variety show 'The Return of Superman 'in 2021. Sayuri now regularly shares her life and parenting journey through her own YouTube channel.
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