What do you think of Japan's school education system?

Monday 13th April, 05:45 AM JST

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DJJapan at 01:40 PM JST - 14th April

Simon: Goes into a lot more explaining and I can only write it briefly. I didn't state that the communist side is at fault but this is where they got their way within the new constitution when it was drafted. My statement is not based on my opinion either it is a matter of fact. The person that explained this to me very well in detail as well as the LDP objectives is a pretty reputable person who does have a grasp of all of these facts from the past. If you notice the LDP don't really play that big of a part within the education system and are always at odds with it. The LDP is a group of parties that have combined over the years and their task is more focused on business which was the reason for the mass industrialization of Japan after WW2. The education system then was for the masses which was to make everyone equal so they could churn the machine. In that the left compliments the right to get the result.
tasha77 at 02:52 PM JST - 14th April

I have taught at a various colleges in Japan and I am always surprised when it comes to test time that the students who fail redo the same test (vice principles request) over and over and over and yes thats right folks...over again...until they pass. The people in charge of these "places of wonder" always have the same answer.....just let them pass!!!!!And hey look at the statistics...100% pass rate...wow that must be a good school!!! Lets go there!!! What a joke!!Education system in Japan....the people in charge only care about money money money. I had a student two years ago in a class of 45 who spent the entire year without speaking one single word (I later found out he did the same in the other courses as well, which were all in japanese). The many times questions were directed at him was followed by the most painful silence you could ever imagine. Even spoon feeding the answers to this "creature" like you would to a 3 year old did nothing to motivate him to whisper an answer. His final exam was handed in without as much as his name on the sheet.....and guess what folks.....when it came time for the retest.....he didn't show up but who do you think was there accepting his graduation paper at the end of the course????And the school gave it to him!!!
cathrynm at 02:55 PM JST - 14th April

Well, at least somehow they manage to learn all those Kanji. (Struggling with this myself.)
tasha77 at 03:54 PM JST - 14th April

But they don't.....give a newspaper to a student and ask them to read it. Some of them can't.
jonnyboy at 08:37 PM JST - 14th April

Well, at least somehow they manage to learn all those Kanji. (Struggling with this myself.)

you would hope so, with 11 years of classes and daily exposure

agreed that the school system produces individuals which perpetuate a particular system. whether or not this system is still advantageous to anyone involved in a matter for another debate entirely
Disillusioned at 12:26 AM JST - 15th April

No punishment! The kids are hardly ever held responsible or accountable for their actions. The punishment used is either a buzz-cut or public humiliation and short suspensions. They are mollycoddled and have no need to improve themselves because their teachers are proxy parents that wipe their bums and noses for them. They are given given clear instructions as to where to find all the answers to tests. No wonder these kids don't grow up til they are in their forty's (some never do). They don't know whether they are Arthur or Martha cos they never had to make a choice.
Simon_Foston at 07:59 AM JST - 15th April

The LDP is a group of parties that have combined over the years and their task is more focused on business which was the reason for the mass industrialization of Japan after WW2. The education system then was for the masses which was to make everyone equal so they could churn the machine. In that the left compliments the right to get the result.

Quite, but I think it could be argued that the education system has precisely the opposite effect of making everyone equal. At every stage there is competition to pass the entrance exams for the best schools, and rich parents are at a clear advantage as they can pay for the cram schools that everyone thinks are so vital. Senior high school has to be paid for, on top of yet more fees for cram schools to pass the tests to get into the best universities, as, guess what, the content of those entrance exams isn't in the high school curriculum. I'm also fairly certain that there is very little financial support available for teenagers from lower-income backgrounds who are academically eligible for university. Now say what you like about left-wing parties and governments, that doesn't tend to be the way they set up education systems.
pointofview at 04:07 PM JST - 15th April

Considering they dont have to do a thing and can still pass school. Id say it needs some work...
thundercat at 04:09 PM JST - 15th April

I tend to agree with Cleo on this one. I think for the most part the end justifies the means in Japan. There are a number of short comings but Japanese education is hardly the 3rd world caliber that many would have us believe.

Having studied in three different countries and worked in three different education 'systems' I can honestly say that I was most disappointed with universities in Japan. Jr/Sr high schools, for the most part, produce respectful and honest kids who are generally interested in continuing their studies, while many universities are far more concerned with the bottom line than they are educating their students.

If a society is a reflection of it's education system than I feel that Japan has done very well but there is always room for improvement.
hepy1 at 05:10 PM JST - 15th April

i think japan education system is very good now, gambarre nippon.
TokyoHustla at 05:14 PM JST - 15th April

It is unequaled on this planet and turns out the best workers who work unquestioningly so that a select few of us may get rich on their backs. It is a wonderful system.
sf2k at 11:56 PM JST - 15th April

memorization is not knowledge...memorization is not knowledge...memorization is not knowledge...memorization is not knowledge...
jessssicaaa at 03:57 PM JST - 16th April

Um...no. Australian students usually work in the field where they have studies. For example, if one was to study Chemistry, one would work in that particular filed. In Japan, one studies anything from Engineering to IT, and one works in an office pouring coffee and doing filing. Ten times better than Australia's you say?

neverknow2, i live in australia, the enducation system is shit. ;] simply put. I never said about anything after school did i, plus thats not always the case. Anyways i ment the schooling itself is alot better.
Simon_Foston at 09:00 AM JST - 17th April

Having studied in three different countries and worked in three different education 'systems' I can honestly say that I was most disappointed with universities in Japan. Jr/Sr high schools, for the most part, produce respectful and honest kids who are generally interested in continuing their studies, while many universities are far more concerned with the bottom line than they are educating their students.

That's a very good point. Japanese university students could be doing with a bit more stress and pressure whereas school students would benefit from a bit less, but that has everything to do with the university entrance exam system and its fundamental incompatibility with the high school curriculum.
jewel at 06:43 PM JST - 19th April

"PTA controls to much and has toooooo much power", as a parent, I thought just the opposite. Sitting in PTA meetings in America, parents can help choose textbooks, have their say about teachers & teaching methods, etc, but sitting in a Japanese PTA meeting we are read to and just asked if we have any questions about what we were instructed such as when our kids should eat, go to bed, and how to cross the street. There is no room for discussion or suggestions. I feel parents should have the freedom to have full say in how the school operates since its their money funding the system and their kids in the system. But with that said, I have few complaints about the Japanese school system so far. I have experience in 6 ele. & JHS so far. As I can see, Japan produces some of the most brilliant technological and scientific minds in the world so academically it is doing fine. I also appreciate that it focuses more on academics than controversial social engineering. I also like the wholistic approach of walking to school, caring for gardens and animals, caring for the school property, and giving the kids lots of responsibility in the classroom itself. I dont particularly like the way the teachers use students to discipline other students. I think although this helps nurture a group mentality, it also can help nurture a bullying mentality. Finally in the 6 different Japanese schools I have experienced, they are ALL different with different strengths and weaknesses but overall Ive had mostly good experiences in them, but Im a proactive parent which I think is needed to ensure the best treatment and education for one`s child.