Gov't wants education levels to surpass those in U.S, Europe

Tuesday 01st July, 11:08 AM JST

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furuigakko at 02:46 PM JST - 1st July

My opinion on why Japanese education is not working, in Japan from what I understand, English is taught from JHS (3yrs) to HS( 3 yrs) total of 6 yrs, but it seems not that many of the population can speak decent English. In my logical/non logical thinking, Japanese kids study to pass an exam. Be it English, math or and exam to get to the next grade level. There is no practical use of the skills they learn.

Japan may achieve higher scores in math and science than those from western nations, however when it comes to free independent thinking and problem solving the Japanese educational system has failed.

It seems as those in society can not formulate individual responses, everything is canned. Example: situation A dictates answer/solution D, situation C dictates answer/solution: B. What about situation G, when there is no canned answer for situation G well......

How about basic social interaction with everyone, at the work place, at the pub? This is a part of basic education.
nigelboy at 03:00 PM JST - 1st July

Japan may achieve higher scores in math and science than those from western nations, however when it comes to free independent thinking and problem solving the Japanese educational system has failed.

Actually, when the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted the problem solving section for the first time in 2003, Japan came in 4th.

The so-called lack of independent thinking or creative thinking is a myth perpetuated by those who cling on to their wishful thinking that where they are taught, the education is better. Since they have no stat to prove this, they hold on to this argument in same fashion as "my daddy can beat up your daddy".

How about basic social interaction with everyone, at the work place, at the pub? This is a part of basic education

Just because you're not interacting with the Japanese don't necessarily equal to ordinary Japanese not socializing amongst themselves.
furuigakko at 03:10 PM JST - 1st July

One more comment...the difference btwn US schools and Japanese schools. Japanese educational systems has discipline, no freedom but lacks creativity.

Where as US system too much freedom and no discipline. There are problems with both systems, no system is perfect, but if you have a hybrid child with the discipline of a Japanese system and then given the freedom of expression of a western system, I think the child would be a better rounded person. Please comment as I am testing this theory with my two young daughter (3 and 5 yrs old). Our plan to stay with the Japanese ed system until middle school, then move back to the US for a western education.

Many Japanese-American adults I know speak Japanese as a native, but can not read and write kanji, therefore we are making a sacrifice to live here in Japan to get our girls the language skills for adulthood. As for the American (US) population, how many are bilingual or have passports for that matter (I say less than 10% of the US population have Passports).

Japanese classroom:

Teacher: Class 2+2=4, (dictating not teaching)

Toshi: But, Sensei 5-1=4.

Teacher: No!! Toshi! only 2+2=4, nothing else remember it! (note goes home, Toshi is misbehaving in class)

US Classroom:

Teacher: Class, what equals 4?

Jenny: Teacher, 2+2=4

Teacher: Very good, Jenny! What else equals 4.

Johnny: Teacher, 3+1=4

Teacher: Very good, Johnny, Jenny!

Due to the freedom and independent thinking that Johnny and Jenny has, they grow up to cure AIDS or become convicted criminals and a burden on society depending on support from home.

Great topic....please comment.
tkoind2 at 03:25 PM JST - 1st July

Intelligence is not the issue. There are smart people here like any other nation. The problem is the approach to education. Filling people with facts to pass tests is not educating them. Children must be taught creative and critical thinking, problem solving and all the necessary skills to help them continue to take in and use new information.

Forget patriotic nonsense, forget cram schools and life or death tests. Teach children to live in and prosper in this world with a strong academic foundation.
medievaltimes at 03:28 PM JST - 1st July

For all the noise that is given to the Japanese putting education as a priority, most Japanese people I have met seem very uneducated.
DenshaDeGO at 03:32 PM JST - 1st July

In recent years the Japanese have become LAZY. Petulance, ignorance, greed, frivolity, mobile phones, selfishness and apathy have spread like a cancer in this country. The government is not immune either so I have no idea how they think their plans will change anything.
nigelboy at 03:34 PM JST - 1st July

"Japanese classroom:

Teacher: Class 2+2=4, (dictating not teaching)

US Classroom:

Teacher: Class, what equals 4?

Jenny: Teacher, 2+2=4

Teacher: Very good, Jenny! What else equals 4."

Oh brother...

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005003.pdf

PISA's major focus in 2003 was mathematics literacy. Mathematic literacy is defined as:

..and individual's capacity to identify and understand the role that mathematics plays in the world, to make well-founded judgements and to use and engage with mathematics in ways that meet the needs of that individual's life as a construcitve, concerned, and reflective citizen. (OECD 2003, p. 24)

PISA's emphasis is on the ability to apply a range of knowledge and skills to a variety of problems with real-life contexts..

Result:

Japan 4th

U.S. 24th.
furuigakko at 03:46 PM JST - 1st July

So Nigel, got any good advice?
nigelboy at 03:55 PM JST - 1st July

So Nigel, got any good advice?

First step. Eliminate Yutori Education.

2000 PISA Results

Math: 1st Science: 2nd Reading Comprehension: 8th

2002- Implementation of Yutori Education

2003- PISA results

Math: 6th Reading Comprehension: 14th Science: 1st Problem Solving: 4th

2006-PISA results

Math: 10th Reading comprehension: 15th Science: 5th
thepro at 04:04 PM JST - 1st July

The Gov't will put together a panel of specialists which will debate the issue and then come back with 'The children need more classroom hours, and more patriotism'
WMD at 07:45 PM JST - 1st July

In the plan, the government hints at lowering pay for public-school teachers

Yeah, lowering teachers' pay, morale and motivation will really help to raise teaching standards and attract good teachers in the first place. Idiots.
proxy at 10:49 PM JST - 1st July

Nigel, you may right on numbers but not on cause.
2000 Schools taught the required curriculum. 2002 Schools started to "cheat" and did not teach the required curriculum 2007 Schools busted for not teaching curriculum

2000 during summer vacation teachers worked at home and were able to refresh themselves . . . 2008 teachers must report to school all summer except Obon.

2000 teachers not forced to sing national anthem

2008 teachers punished for not signing.

2000 High school teachers not so greedy

2002 High school teachers at state run schools get greedy and force, by threat of expulsion, students to attend and pay for more extra classes so teachers can go shopping
saintseiya at 12:22 PM JST - 2nd July

Let me input some facts about EU-ecducation versus so called J-robot education.

I was born in Luxembourg, we learn 4 languages (luxembourgish, german, french and english) until we finish Highschool at 19. Many students master theses languages and many also master mathematics in french and german (wich is a very difficult task). Now yeah on a superflue sight, all luxembourgish people look like very educated peeps, mastering all the above . . . now I live in japan and yes the japanese don't master anything when it comes to different languages. But . . . . .

Many students in Lux, next to mathematics and languages have no capabilities at all . . which brings us to the point of ultimate individuality, fact is that 50% of young people in the EU, as well as in the US or japan are just plain lazy, uninterested and prefer to hang out (out of the parents and school authority)rather then think about their education. Now what I have seen in japan is that these same uninterested , lazy peeps got hammered in their heads at least some basics of knowledge and capactity. If I exagerate the image, it seems to me that every young japanese, can play at least one instrument, have an artsitic level (drawing, painting, crafting) higher then good in the EU, has at least played 20 different kinds of sports (even if he/she dislikes sports completely) ex . . . .

All theses basic things make the lazy bud at least usefull for something, it crashes your inner lazy and uninterested will and forces you to partcipate . . . With fundamental individuality in Luxembourg, brings with it the consequence that 50% of the students are good for nothing! At least the same bunch in japan, knows how to incorporate a japanese work groupe and contribute to something (if it is just a basic service job that can earn them their minimal salary) . . . in the EU they not need that robotisation and brain hammering of basic usefull knowledge . .if your are to dump to go work, you get workless money all again and again . . hence the high rate of workless and usuless peeps in the EU.

Japan has much to change, but well we can't say that japan is a country full of stupid , low educated peeps . . . . sometimes it is better to leave you usless individuality at home and contribute to something, . . . the bad side of it is that people with ambitions and true talents and ideas get scraped in such a systhem . .but wtf, the world is not perfect.
westurn at 12:56 PM JST - 2nd July

Nigelboy... PISA Results ?

Wasn't that the study where the US included "all" students (including immigrants that could barely speak English) and scores while Japan singled out certain schools for participation ??? The downward spiral you see is probably more reflective of Japan's slow but steady process to stop fudging the numbers. I expect Japan to eventually fall into the middle of the pack... where it has probably been for decades !
nigelboy at 12:41 PM JST - 3rd July

Wasn't that the study where the US included "all" students (including immigrants that could barely speak English)

Actually, Asians scored the highest among the Reading Comprehension part while the native Americans and Blacks were at the two bottom. So in U.S.'s case, hooray for the immigrants.