- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,913
In brief: academic scores down, smartphone and game playing time up.
Japanese education officials are concerned and confused over an academic survey on 31 July, which revealed a steep drop in test scores among younger students between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2024. A senior official at the education ministry noted with concern that the latest drop in student scores was more severe than anything previously recorded. It is speculated that the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic might have played a role, particularly when it came to English skills among junior high students.
In a related survey conducted with parents, many reported that their children now spend more time on smartphones and video games, and that there is less pressure at home to achieve high academic performance. The fiscal 2024 government survey aimed to assess how children's academic abilities have shifted across Japan and to provide a foundation for revising future educational policies. Average scores fell across all subjects compared to the previous nationwide survey from fiscal 2021.
Source: Asahi
The surveys showed that children were spending more time than before playing games and using smartphones, while the time they devoted to studying outside of school had gone down since the last survey.
Japanese education officials are concerned and confused over an academic survey on 31 July, which revealed a steep drop in test scores among younger students between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2024. A senior official at the education ministry noted with concern that the latest drop in student scores was more severe than anything previously recorded. It is speculated that the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic might have played a role, particularly when it came to English skills among junior high students.
In a related survey conducted with parents, many reported that their children now spend more time on smartphones and video games, and that there is less pressure at home to achieve high academic performance. The fiscal 2024 government survey aimed to assess how children's academic abilities have shifted across Japan and to provide a foundation for revising future educational policies. Average scores fell across all subjects compared to the previous nationwide survey from fiscal 2021.
Source: Asahi
The surveys showed that children were spending more time than before playing games and using smartphones, while the time they devoted to studying outside of school had gone down since the last survey.