K-drama School Nurse Files and ducks

August 23, 2023 4:45 PM

Help me solve this mystery. In School Nurse Files, why are there white ducks wandering around the school?

Is it just to add to the weird vibe or is there an actual reason? It's based on a Korean book School Nurse Ahn Eunyoung but there's no English version I can find. I'm re-watching it and this is really bugging me. The ducks even walk through scenes inside the school and everyone acts like they aren't there. Not even a janitor freaking out because ducks do not use indoor plumbing.

posted by stray thoughts to Media & Arts (2 answers total)

The Korean manga I read that is set in Korean elementary schools always has the kids in charge of doing the cleaning, sweeping and mopping hall and classroom floors, and looking after animals as part of the curriculum. Now usually the animals are rabbits or hamsters, but is there any chance that the ducks are the animals that the school uses for training the kids to be responsible?

There is a school in Milton MA (Glover Elementary) that has a courtyard where a wild mother duck sits on her eggs every year, and once the hatched ducklings are old enough, she leads them through the school to get to the nearest pond. You can find footage of the kids all sitting down happily watching and making encouraging noises as the ducks waddle along. They make a ceremony out of it, though. I don't think those ducks just roam around all year.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:54 AM on August 24, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: In the book there is a duck farm near the school and the ducks all end up being looked after by a teacher. So they are probably just there as an Easter egg for those who read the book.
posted by satisam at 3:41 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]