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The Revision to the Education Law--good or bad?

That makes sense atg san. MM

(apologies for not getting back sooner, and not saying more. . . but. . .)
 
Fasten your seatbelts....or.....

Pack your bags?

Well The Daily Yomiuri carried a report today (Oct. 19; p. 1) on Abe's first steps in education reform. The write-up didn't mention anything about any hard-and-fixed conclusions or such but did carry the following quotes:
Abe said:
Education is the basis for creating a beautiful nation. To guarantee every child the chance to achieve high academic standards and learn social morality, it's imperative to reform public education and revitalize education at home and in the community.
The article also claimed that he had said that it was 'important for children to learn social morality and develop sound judgment based on social activities or community service, and that homes and communities improve their education skills.' The point being that it is important (a) for children to learn...and (b) that homes and communities improve their education skills.

Efforts to improve public education are of course welcome, yes, and even the idea of strategies to foster more 'home education' is a more positive minded thing than not, I would say, yet individual freedom of choice and conscious can not be ignored or destroyed in the process. This also, like the idea of implementing stragegies to foster religiousity, has to be handled carefully--and I'm a bit concerned about it. Are some government guys in dark suits and sunglasses gonna be shoving open my genkan door, with the bigger one slightly pulling down his shades and peering over them, telling me I'm not educating my children the 'right' way?

Well, actually, by 'home education' they mean those who choose to teach their children at home rather than send them through the public school system. I have one acquantance here who teaches over at Shinshu University who, along with his Japanese National wife, teach their two (I believe it was) children at home. Let's see what happens there.

And some good news in the write-up is the following quote by Ryoji Noyori, the chair of the commitee Abe is working with, and president of Riken--the nation's leading research institute:
It's important to foster children who can think independently and express themselves--children who will grow to be mentally strong and be capable of excelling on the international stage.
I really hopes this goes for the better. It seems that it won't be until June of next year that we can get some results on the governments decisions. :unsure:
 
Quality of teaching is more important than patriotism. Patriotism is can be and usually is a good thing. Japan changes already very slowly, becouse of the vote system. It can be asked would Abe be a prime minister without this voting system. I am pretty sure Japanese kids already know how great place Japan is. I don't think people should be educated on samething many times. Makes it look like little bit brainwashing to me. I have not been in Japanese schools besides college so I don't really know.

Intresting thread though
 
Just wanted to bump this up, as it goes hand in hand with Misa j.'s thread. Sorry for any inconvience. MM
 
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