Culture of Competition in Japanese Education

The intense competition in Japanese education appears a contradiction for a society that values egalitarianism, group harmony, and cooperation. Emphasis is placed on maintaining social relations. An example is salaries. Although a differential in salaries of teachers based on the teacher's degree and certificate level determines the initial level of pay, this differential decreases dramatically by the end of the professional career. By basing teacher pay on seniority, the Japanese minimize competition. Competition is minimized in other work areas as well: "Many successful Japanese companies also work to cushion failure, and it is important to note that the salary gap between the lowest-paid shop worker and the highest-paid executives in Japanese firms remains among th

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ounter no problems with schooling because there is little geographic variation in education. Like the Ministry of Education, the Japanese Teachers Union has come out strongly against teaching to the exams. The union feels that teachers who engage in this practice are acting contrary to the values of the egalitarian style of instruction. Teaching to the exam encourages cramming, which is detrimental to learning. Nevertheless, secondary teachers routinely teach with the examinations uppermost in mind. Most feel they have a duty to their students to do so: "Exams are the reality in more than half of Japan's high schools. Not to face their looming power over future careers is to penalize students" (Rohlen, 1995, p. 110). Japanese teachers often find themselves in a dilemma; as much as they may want to develop higher-level learning skills in their students, the constraints of time and the pressure of examinations often makes it impossible to do so. As a result of this dilemma, the Japanese student often gets shortchanged in terms of learning experience. For example, Japanese high school students study subject matter that will benefit them when they take their entrance examinations, but little emphasis is placed on critical
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Approximate Word count = 3969
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)

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