Japanese High School Hires Parrot As Teaching Assistant

A high school in Saitama prefecture has broken with usual practice by hiring a parrot to assist the Japanese teacher in English lessons, rather than a human native speaker.

The principal of Happy Future High School, Tori Shaberu, defended the move in a statement released yesterday. "We're confident that Porry will help students learn correct English pronunciation just as well as a human teacher," he explained. "She's from England, so speaks with a British accent. As far as I can tell. And, it's Japanese culture, so don't question it."

Porry at work in the classroom

Despite Shaberu's upbeat assessment, some parents of students at the school have expressed concerned about the quality of lessons. Nani Desuka, 39, told In Other News "Since the parrot started, my daughter has just been saying things like 'Pieces of Eight' and 'I'm a parrot of the Carribean'. The previous teacher at least taught useful words related to foreign culture, like 'hangover' and 'all-night session'"

There has also been an unanticipated effect: Porry's squawks of "Who's a pretty boy then?" have reportedly led to an improvement in male students' grooming and personal hygiene as they compete for the bird's attention.