We've been in Japan a little more than a week. Today, we broke up into groups to head to different parts of Japan. My location is Tama, which is a suburb of Tokyo, about an hour away. Earlier today, we met the mayor of Tama, toured a shrine and toured a local museum.
We have been treated with such respect by the Japanese people. In this country, teachers are generally well thought of. It is wonderful to be the beneficiary of such respect.
Before leaving Tokyo, we toured the University of Tokyo, which is one of the most prestigious colleges in Japan. The highlight for me was hearing the dean of the college talk about the Japanese educational system.
Japan has one of the best educational systems in the world. The dean attributes this success to several factors.
First, education is considered essential in Japan, and parents, for the most part, push their kids to excel in school. Parental support is high.
One of the reasons parents push kids to excel is because there are stringent entrance exams at both the high school and college level. If students don't do well on the tests, they can't get into the more prestigious schools. Even in elementary school, parents are already encouraging their children to keep the high school entrance exams in mind.
At the same time, the dean credits national standardized tests for the academic success of students.
Finally, the dean says the Japanese hold high respect for schools and for teachers. As a result, teachers are paid on a comparable level to business people. The dean says higher teacher pay results in better teachers and better student achievement.
On the other hand, the dean says there are also problems with the Japanese educational system. One problem the country is dealing with is a higher dropout rate in high school, although more than 90% of kids still graduate. The dean attributes the higher dropout rate to the breakdown of traditional family values. Sound familiar.
The dean says another problem is that the stringent entrance exams put a lot of pressure on kids, which can lead to psychological problems.
At the same time, the dean says that too many students just focus on passing tests and have no genuine interest in learning. This is also a common criticism about education in the United States.
Finally, the dean said it is becoming increasingly hard to motivate students because they have it too easy and have developed a sense of entitlement.
Some of the solutions Japan is considering include more standardized tests, easier entrance exams, school choice and more educational control at the local level.
It was interesting listening to the dean because some of the problems we face in the United States are ones Japan is facing, as well.
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2 comments:
Have folks in your group found it very surprising that the educators in Japan are finding it hard to motivate THEIR students? Doesn't that surprise you? Do you think some of the things they might try to motivate students there would work in the U.S., or are the cultural differences just too great?
As you know, Japan is considered to have a great educational system, but as one educational official told us, the country doesn't want to rest on its laurels.
Japan is experiencing what I believe the United States is experiencing. There are many students who have developed an entitlement mentality because things have been so good economically for so long. When a person has prosperity, it is hard to convince that person to make sacrifices for the future.
Japan has enjoyed prosperity, so Japanese parents tell us they can't motivate their kids by saying work hard so your life will be better one day.
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