The problems in Japanese Education
1. The lack of competition among educational suppliers
Students have different characters, and accordingly, educational theories must be diverse. Therefore, many educational curricula should be tried in a competitive manner. However, there is no such thing in Japan. The diversity of school books and other materials is limited, and there is little room for developing new educational materials and methods. Japanese education is far from vital.
2. Free time lost by examination wars
Today, the primary trouble faced by junior high school level is the students' anxiety related to the entrance examinations to high schools. More than half of them go to cram schools, and some of them attend several cram schools. Moreover, younger children have also become affected by the examination wars. It is quite abnormal that elementary school children return home from cram schools after 10 o'clock at night. A survey has shown that 27% of elementary school students and 64% of junior high school children feel fatigue in their daily lives. Examination wars prevent children from growing up with sound minds, which makes their future of Japan gloomy.
3. The risk of the nationally unified education
Since a government agency decides educational content, if the agency makes a mistake, all schools are forced to go along with it. Such a risk can be avoided if the power to decide educational content is transferred to local governments or private schools. A new education system can be tried locally and then spread, before the Ministry of Education makes a nationwide decision. This would be both more natural and desirable.
4. Japanese education rejects individual differences
The students who achieved excellent results in a subject can frequently progress faster or proceed to the next grade in the United States. The absence of a national curriculum allows such flexibility. In situation such as in Japan where educational curricula are fixed by a national curriculum, a student permitted to proceed faster must be considered as favorable discrimination. No educational theory nor educational psychology argues that every child at each grade develops at the same speed.
5. The contradiction that any educational efforts not approved by the Ministry of Education are essentially useless
The Ministry of Education decides educational content in Japan. In other words, any educational efforts not approved by the Ministry are essentially useless. In the current system, doing only what is approved by the Ministry and cutting out (as much as possible) what is not approved is the most effective way to enter a famous university. Community and volunteer activities, home education, and learning styles are all useless. This is the largest contradiction in Japanese education. The definition of education is wider in the United States because the federal government does not decide the content of education. Experience in the real world, such as part-time jobs and social activities, are included in education. American high schools permit part-time jobs, while many Japanese high schools do not. Such differences result from the different definitions of education.
It is a considerable problem that the Ministry of Education has the power to develop or eliminate specific sets of values.
6. Educational system disturbing freedom of thought and education
The description and interpretation of school books on history have been variously argued in Japan. This includes the recent charity argument and the argument as to whether the operations of the Japanese military in Asian countries was advancement or invasion. However, there is no unified interpretation of history among the people and no need to unify it.
Strictly speaking, there are about 1,200 million Japanese nationals, and accordingly, there must be the same number of historical views since all of them were born at different times in different environments.
Today, Japanese schools nationwide teach a unified historical view. However, this system may disturb freedom of education and belief for both right and left wingers. Japanese education should be democratized in this respect as well.
7. The Japanese system does not develop unconventionality nor creativity
Recently, Asian countries have been rapidly catching-up to Japan. Since less expensive Asian products are frequently preferred to Japanese products when the quality is the same, Japanese industries must increasingly depend on creativity and being unconventional.
Not all Asian countries can democratize education. There are several conditions to be satisfied before education is democratized. Japan is among the few countries that can satisfy those. Education may indeed be a "hole card", as it were, for Japan. Japanese education should no longer be discussed at the level of examination wars. It is an urgent issue to be tackled to survive in today's world.
8. New social discrimination in the educational field
No one can deny the fact that Japanese diplomatism produces new social discrimination in schools. It would be useless to try to solve the problems of bullying and school rejection unless some measures are taken to dismantle the structure of diplomatism.
All of the above are the problems of Japanese education system.
Students have different characters, and accordingly, educational theories must be diverse. Therefore, many educational curricula should be tried in a competitive manner. However, there is no such thing in Japan. The diversity of school books and other materials is limited, and there is little room for developing new educational materials and methods. Japanese education is far from vital.
2. Free time lost by examination wars
Today, the primary trouble faced by junior high school level is the students' anxiety related to the entrance examinations to high schools. More than half of them go to cram schools, and some of them attend several cram schools. Moreover, younger children have also become affected by the examination wars. It is quite abnormal that elementary school children return home from cram schools after 10 o'clock at night. A survey has shown that 27% of elementary school students and 64% of junior high school children feel fatigue in their daily lives. Examination wars prevent children from growing up with sound minds, which makes their future of Japan gloomy.
3. The risk of the nationally unified education
Since a government agency decides educational content, if the agency makes a mistake, all schools are forced to go along with it. Such a risk can be avoided if the power to decide educational content is transferred to local governments or private schools. A new education system can be tried locally and then spread, before the Ministry of Education makes a nationwide decision. This would be both more natural and desirable.
4. Japanese education rejects individual differences
The students who achieved excellent results in a subject can frequently progress faster or proceed to the next grade in the United States. The absence of a national curriculum allows such flexibility. In situation such as in Japan where educational curricula are fixed by a national curriculum, a student permitted to proceed faster must be considered as favorable discrimination. No educational theory nor educational psychology argues that every child at each grade develops at the same speed.
5. The contradiction that any educational efforts not approved by the Ministry of Education are essentially useless
The Ministry of Education decides educational content in Japan. In other words, any educational efforts not approved by the Ministry are essentially useless. In the current system, doing only what is approved by the Ministry and cutting out (as much as possible) what is not approved is the most effective way to enter a famous university. Community and volunteer activities, home education, and learning styles are all useless. This is the largest contradiction in Japanese education. The definition of education is wider in the United States because the federal government does not decide the content of education. Experience in the real world, such as part-time jobs and social activities, are included in education. American high schools permit part-time jobs, while many Japanese high schools do not. Such differences result from the different definitions of education.
It is a considerable problem that the Ministry of Education has the power to develop or eliminate specific sets of values.
6. Educational system disturbing freedom of thought and education
The description and interpretation of school books on history have been variously argued in Japan. This includes the recent charity argument and the argument as to whether the operations of the Japanese military in Asian countries was advancement or invasion. However, there is no unified interpretation of history among the people and no need to unify it.
Strictly speaking, there are about 1,200 million Japanese nationals, and accordingly, there must be the same number of historical views since all of them were born at different times in different environments.
Today, Japanese schools nationwide teach a unified historical view. However, this system may disturb freedom of education and belief for both right and left wingers. Japanese education should be democratized in this respect as well.
7. The Japanese system does not develop unconventionality nor creativity
Recently, Asian countries have been rapidly catching-up to Japan. Since less expensive Asian products are frequently preferred to Japanese products when the quality is the same, Japanese industries must increasingly depend on creativity and being unconventional.
Not all Asian countries can democratize education. There are several conditions to be satisfied before education is democratized. Japan is among the few countries that can satisfy those. Education may indeed be a "hole card", as it were, for Japan. Japanese education should no longer be discussed at the level of examination wars. It is an urgent issue to be tackled to survive in today's world.
8. New social discrimination in the educational field
No one can deny the fact that Japanese diplomatism produces new social discrimination in schools. It would be useless to try to solve the problems of bullying and school rejection unless some measures are taken to dismantle the structure of diplomatism.
All of the above are the problems of Japanese education system.
Source:
http://www.myjapanphone.com/japan_travel_resource/Studying_in_japan/The_problem_in_Japanese_education.html
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