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What can we learn from the Japanese education system?

skinz87

後輩
4 Aug 2007
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Hi all, I'm new here and currently researching different aspects of the japanese education system!
I have been reading up a lot on the background of japans education as it has a very interesting and colourful history!
Do you think the japanese education system has had any effect on the education of the rest of the world? what do you think we can learn from the japanese education system?

discuss.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by the Japanese system having an effect on the rest of the world; the Japanese modeled their system from western ones after WW2, and to my knowledge, their system hasn't found influence in foreign classrooms.

There's certainly something to be said about the team-building effects of sports events, club activities, and the organization of class schedules keeping the same group of kids together all day, but there are certainly downsides to that sense of solidarity that have led to a slew of social problems.
 
What is so colorful?
What do you think the rest of the world can learn?

Give us something to discuss.
 
Im just basically asking what you think we can learn from the japanese education system?
 
I have been reading up a lot on the background of japans education as it has a very interesting and colourful history!

I would have hoped you could have shared what you read or found to be interesting and colorful with the rest of us here instead of just throwing out a blanket request for information.

We arent guinea pigs you know.
 
K thanks for the help, nevermind I guess - just couldnt find the relevant information on the web so thought i'd see what you lot thought.
 
K thanks for the help, nevermind I guess - just couldnt find the relevant information on the web so thought i'd see what you lot thought.
I dont think you quite understand what Glenski and I are asking you. You popped in here made a statement without any backing or followup and then want us to provide you with material for your research?

What are you basing the questions on? Why do you thinks it's colorful? Unusual choice of words in my opinion. Why or what do you think the contributions are? You dont need to give specifics for everything. Oh you could tell us the name of the book you were reading and who authored it, we can always do our own research if interested.


It helps people to help you when you provide more information first.
 
okay, do you know of any useful/informative links with information regarding my question?
 
okay, do you know of any useful/informative links with information regarding my question?
Wait a second did you read what I wrote in my reply to you?

To refresh your memory;
What are you basing the questions on? Why do you thinks it's colorful? Unusual choice of words in my opinion. Why or what do you think the contributions are? You dont need to give specifics for everything. Oh you could tell us the name of the book you were reading and who authored it, we can always do our own research if interested.
I've highlighted the pertinent parts for you.
 
what do you think we can learn from the japanese education system?

Well, you could learn science, mathematics, history, english, art, etc. 😊

Seriously, though, are you asking, "What can we take from Japan's education system and utilize in our own?" If that is your question, I think teamwork and co-operation would be a good one.

I like America's education system. It is by no means perfect, but from the sounds of the HUGE competition in Japan over high school exams and getting into college, I would much rather be educated in America.
 
There's certainly sething to be said about the team-building effects of sports events, club activities, and the organization of class schedules keeping the same group of kids together all day, but there are certainly downsides to that sense of solidarity that have led to a slew of social problems.

I totally agree on this. but there are a lot of thing about the japanese teaching system i don't like.

teacher can't use their own teaching method as every school has to use the exact same textbooks and way of teaching prescribed by the government.
I believe this is done separately for every region (ナ陳ァ).

and the whole status thing about schools doesn't really feel right to me.
I have lived as an exchange student (highschool) in japan for a year, and it actually bother me a little.
there was an elementary school, a middle school and a highschool at the school i attended. in the region it was one of the best school, and i even had a classmate attending from shimonoseki (to center hiroshima) every day. point is, people that entered from elementary school, and middle school for that matter, will automatically move through the grades even if they don't study at all. offcourse if your grades are extremely bad, there might be a problem, but this is very very rare.
if this is the case i don't really see why japanese value a school good name that much if it works like this.

Btw, this might be different in every school and region, and what i wrote above is all just my own opinion.
most of the facts are from things my mentor at the time told me.
if i am wrong, please correct me.

but i also think there are a lot of really good things about japanese school.
the bonding between students is a lot stronger i think. mostly because of extracurricular things as clubs, cleaning of the building, and as pointed out above the fact that a class is almost always together in the school building.
 
The Japanese teaching system as a whole is teacher-focused. The culture of the society puts the teacher on a pedestal with lots of power, and students sit (or sleep) idly in most classes without ever asking a question. What can we learn from this?

In studying English, students get grammar from Japanese teachers who themselves are not fluent in the language (most cannot even get 550 or so on a TOEIC test), and they teach only to pass college entrance exams, not to make the students adept at speaking the language. As a result, foreign teachers are hired to help out, but even so, most students graduate barely able to form sentences or to respond to simple questions. What can we learn from this?

Many people claim that Japanese have a higher ability in science and math, but have you actually seen the juggling of grades in Japanese schools? I have. What can we learn from this?

The group dynamic of Japanese culture begins in school. It is a very strong feature of their culture. Individualistic thought is often suppressed, as evidenced by the saying, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." What can we learn from this?
 
you have some very interesting points.

and most sleep in class because they are tired from juku, and feel that compared to that the level of normal schools is pretty low.
at least that's what a friend of mine said.
 
you have some very interesting points.
and most sleep in class because they are tired from juku, and feel that compared to that the level of normal schools is pretty low.
at least that's what a friend of mine said.
I don't agree entirely. In my experience (4 years at a private HS), I can tell you that very few kids there attended juku simply because they did not have time for it. Their days were extremely full. Classes from 8:50 to 3:30, then club activities until 7pm or later. For those staying in the dormitories, everyone was required to be studying from 9pm to 11pm. Everyone, unless they were sick. The cafeteria at the dorm was filled, and if students wanted to study in their rooms, that was ok, but there were bed checks to verify they were studying.

Some of those clubs met 1 or both days on the weekend, too, and some spent 8 hours a day doing that! Unbelievable, but it happens. Plus, private schools have so many other activities going (they need them to attract business), such as festivals (mega-money affairs), overseas trips (with weeks of planning that detracts from other studies), 2 weeks of national sports tournaments (which gives participants an exempt status from studies), many mock exams for college prep, speech contests, makeup exams, career support, after-school support, etc.
 
Yes, the question should be more like, "What can we learn from the mistakes of the Japanese education system?" There are lots of 'em...

But it does do an excellent job of turning kids into mindless test taking robots -- a pattern that will follow them through life. Exams do not end at college graduation. My girlfriend has been studying everyday for the past several months for an exam at her company in October -- still another two months away. Just a series of exams with nothing to back them up.

If you're ever interested in how well kids learn in Japan, talk to a high school kid in English and see how far you get. The vast majority can barely string together a sentence -- the few who can are special and actually take an interest in the subject. But you can't blame them, English courses are taught by instructors who barely speak English themselves and teach a curriculum that doesn't encourage actual application, just rote memorization -- as do the other subjects. But if you hand a kid a standardized exam on irrelevant vocab and grammar points, he'll fly right through it.

It's just an outdated, ineffective system. Everyone knows it, but they're unwilling to make any change or take initiative to lead the way.
 
Japanese school churns out kids suitable for Japanese society.

There is no need for personal excellence.

This place provides everything its citizens need.
Everyone is comfortable.

The school system here does a great job of moulding young citizens.
The west is stuck with the blame game of 'who failed our youth'.
 
The school system here does a great job of moulding young citizens.
If that is true then why is the unemployment rate so high?

Why are there so many "strange" fetishes amongst younger men?

Why dont people want to get married and settle down?

Why cant kids speak their minds?

Why do kids never leave home and expect Mom and Dad to take care of them forever?

Why is there an ever growing population of young adults that have no respect for human life.

And I could go on and on. Dont get me wrong not all is bleak, but not everything is as rosy as this statement made here either.
 
If that is true then why is the unemployment rate so high?
Why are there so many "strange" fetishes amongst younger men?
Why dont people want to get married and settle down?
Why cant kids speak their minds?
Why do kids never leave home and expect Mom and Dad to take care of them forever?
Why is there an ever growing population of young adults that have no respect for human life.
And I could go on and on. Dont get me wrong not all is bleak, but not everything is as rosy as this statement made here either.
Japan is full of woe. Maybe the only thing that the education system is responsible for above, is 'kids can't speak their minds'.

Kids should speak their minds with their peers, not adults.

In fact, following that train of thought, and considering that I voted in an age poll in my last post, maybe I should be careful of voicing this sentiment...?

 
Kids should speak their minds with their peers, not adults.

What age do you consider someone to still be a kid?

Oh and what the heck is wrong with kids having an opinion? Ever heard the phrase...Out of the mouths of babes!

Adults that are unwilling to listen to children may end up missing something or learning something important.

Just because someone has aged doesnt necessarily mean they have wisdom and know everything.
 
Oh and what the heck is wrong with kids having an opinion? Ever heard the phrase...Out of the mouths of babes!
Do you want your younger siblings to teach you life lessons? The quote emphasises the innocence of children. Wisdom is something else.
Adults that are unwilling to listen to children may end up missing something or learning something important.
Children that are unwilling to listen to adults may end up missing something or learning something important.

But getting back to the subject of what we can learn from the education system in Japan...the great equaliser...
 
I thought you were being sarcastic there Ultraman san. Now, I'm beginning to think that what you are saying is truly your opinion. Is that the case? And if you don't me asking--and of course I do not demand that you answer--it's your choice (of course). . . do you have any children of your own?
 
Hi Mars Man,
Yes I have an opinion, but I try to make it at least a little appetising for others. 😊

Yes I have a young son. He is quickly becoming my guide to cool.

RK
 
If that is true then why is the unemployment rate so high?
It has nothing to do with quirks of Japanese education.

Why are there so many "strange" fetishes amongst younger men?
Culture, not education.

Why dont people want to get married and settle down?
Do they elsewhere? Their lives are stifled with the rigors of high school life. They open up only when they hit university age, and that manifests itself in taking it easy (compared to the west, where they do have fun in university, but they tend to study harder). Lifetime employment is dissolving because society is seeing it as a sham, so the youth are capitalizing on this, and enjoying themselves more on temp jobs.

Why cant kids speak their minds?
Can they elsewhere? The answer here, largely, is culture. Everything is teacher-oriented or master-oriented, stifling the openness needed for speaking one's mind openly. That's not to say people (and kids in general) don't speak their minds in private.

Why do kids never leave home and expect Mom and Dad to take care of them forever?
It's cheaper that way. Have you seen what apartments cost? Plus, it's a cultural thing that in its own way has continued into modern day society.

Why is there an ever growing population of young adults that have no respect for human life.
And the kids in Columbine do? Gimme a break on this one, ok? Kids today may be showing more signs of juvenile delinquency and crime, but teachers (who serve as counselors and mentors and surrogate parents) complain about this, too, so it's not necessarily the failure of the educational system.
 
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Glenski, I am sorry you went to the trouble of posting all of that, my post was originally intended to be meant sarcastically as I thought ultraman's was as well.

I agree with what you wrote here btw. Sorry about that. Maybe I should have made it more unbeliveable.
 
From what I know of the situation (which is only based on reading), the system is broken b/c

1: Students are fed facts... not trained to think. While Japanese have crackin' scores in Math and Science equation-related questions, give them the old "If I take half of 10 apples and give 3 of the remaining three to Hiroshi, how many do I have" and they absolutely suck.

2: School prepares them for absolutely nothing other than how to sit there and shut up (something they will do while playing Minesweeper when they get into the real world). What prepares them for college? Juku. What does college prepare them for? Very little.

3: Your kid is completely screwed if he goes to the wrong preschool. B/c, if he goes to the wrong preschool, he can't get into the right elementary school, and in turn the right middle school, the right high school, or the right college. Many companies are snobs, and will only allow people from Toudai or Waseda to climb up the ladder (despite the fact they are tools).

I've become a bit of a non-traditionalist when it comes to work these days... and school in Japan is pretty much the same as a company.
 
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