Primary schools doing well, but challenges ahead

LONDON —

Despite fears about falling academic standards in Japan, the primary education system is functioning well and can act as a model for other nations, according to a leading British expert on Japan.

Peter Cave, from Manchester University, has found the way Japanese teach their 6 to 12-year-olds brings the best out in the youngsters, although schools in Japan do now face a new set of challenges, including the need for more support for youngsters at home.

In math, for example, teachers like their pupils to learn by solving problems through active discussion among themselves with the teacher being a facilitator. This contrasts with the Western stereotype of Japanese kids learning by rote. And in Japanese lessons, pupils are urged to openly discuss the issues raised in the literature.

Japanese children also learn a broader range of subjects than in many countries and more time is given over to creative studies such as music and art, Cave said.

Teachers work well to instill a sense of community which means children feel more at ease to learn things in class through discussions. This is not a new approach—Japanese schools have been encouraging children to learn through inquiry since at least the 1980s.

There are pupil-led meetings about classroom issues and lots of posters and artwork encouraging everyone to work hard and look after one another, Cave found in his extensive study of the primary system, which took several years. Children and staff also clean the schools—something which startles many overseas observers.

He also noted that each pupil in the class is involved in the lessons and that everyone moves at the same pace so that no one is left behind.

Cave, who has recently published a book on his findings, told Kyodo News, ‘‘I do think that, on the whole, Japanese primary schools are doing well and that teaching practices are very good.’‘

He told an audience at the Japan Foundation in London recently that although there are benefits, the Japanese approach should not necessarily be seen as a ‘‘magic bullet.’’ For example, ensuring that everyone goes at the same pace may mean some brighter individuals are held back.

Splitting kids up into classes according to their performance in math—‘‘setting’’—has been introduced in Japan but is not extensively used, Cave added.

Much has been made in the Japanese media about falling academic standards in schools—despite the fact that Japan is regularly at the top of international league tables—and this has led to further planned reforms in the curriculum. These will involve more focus on core subjects and also studying English, a move which Cave welcomes.

He acknowledged that test results have declined in recent years, particularly among the bottom 20 percent of the school population.

Cave said this could be due to several factors. For example, since the early 1990s, teachers have been encouraged not to focus exclusively on academic attainment but also on a pupil’s motivation.

But he said surveys indicated the decline could be due to children studying less at home and not as much consistent support from parents as in the past. It could also reflect growing economic inequalities and a view that education is pointless.

‘‘This makes it more difficult for schools to do their job, and so how to cope with this is a significant challenge,’’ he said.

Asked what Japanese schools could learn from Britain, Cave said Britain excelled at teaching history and made students assess the past with a critical eye, particularly through the writing of essays, which is not so common in Japan.

Cave’s book ‘‘Primary School in Japan: Self, Individuality and Learning in Elementary Education’’ is available from Routledge.

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8 Comments

DeepAir65 at 08:45 AM JST - 19th August

Anyone with kids in Japanese primary school care to comment?

All I know is that I used to live in near an international school and it was not very hard to tell the difference between those that went to the International School and those that went to the local Primary schoold. Even though some of the girls were the same age - around 12 - the International School girl acted and was treated like an adult where as the other I always thought was 4 or 5 years younger than she was - how shocked was I to find out they were the same age?!
Peaceful_Man at 09:07 AM JST - 19th August

My kids go to Japanese schools, Primary, JHS and HS. I have no complaints. Of course it is not perfect, and you can luck out on a teacher. I find if you get a good home room teacher, and a good vice-principal (principal is just for show - the VP does all the work) youwill get a good education. My only complaint is that the bukatsu (club) can take up so much time. As for international schools, a 12 year old girl going on 18....no thanks, give my kids a childhood before they grow up. Is the education at the international schools worth the 90,000 per month you have to pay? Send your kids to a Japanese school and spend the money on overseas trips..
lipscombe at 09:58 AM JST - 19th August

Asked what Japanese schools could learn from Britain, Cave said Britain excelled at teaching history and made students assess the past with a critical eye

hahahahaha good luck with that
cleo at 10:23 AM JST - 19th August

Britain excelled at teaching history

Things have changed since I was at school, then. All I learned about history at school was that it was boring, boring, boring. We did one year doing Roman Britain (which was actually quite interesting) and all the Kings and Queens at double-quick speed, then it was three years of stodgy Corn Laws, Canals and the Growth of the Railways, all the way up to O-level. Ancient history (Greece and Rome) up to A-level was a lot better, but half of that was literature and legend anyway.

It wasn't till I growed up that I found out that history was interesting, and that some of it happened outside the emerald isle set in a silver sea.
DeepAir65 at 12:57 PM JST - 19th August

As for international schools, a 12 year old girl going on 18....

She has a great life - it's more how immature the other girl is by comparison. I agree - let the kids have a childhood
nutsagain at 01:17 PM JST - 19th August

Both my kids went through the Japanese primary school system and it was by and large, a positive experience for them. One or two dud teachers, but they're in every school everywhere. As someone has already posted, it has more to do with the quality of the home room teachers than anything else.
borscht at 01:52 PM JST - 19th August

I agree; club activities take up way too much time in junior high. Everyday for 3 hours? 99.9 percent are not going to be Olympic athletes or professional musicians - those are going to private gyms and music teachers. Once or twice a week at two hours a shot would be better.

As for primary school - we have no complaints but as has been stated before, it depends almost entirely on the home room teacher and his/her relation with the vice principal. We had one teacher quit (which was good) because she couldn't control three students who tended to be more obnoxious than the rest. (I won't go into the 'English' lessons.)