Modern Japan and Education

Ironically, many American educators persist in using Japan's education system as a model for domestic reform. Granted,

the academic achievement of Japanese students is unparalleled in certain areas, most notably math and science. In these subjects, Japanese students outperform almost all their counterparts in foreign nations, and their testing success is often used as a benchmark for other countries: "Here is a concrete measure that gets public attention. It is the measure selected by the [U.S.] state governors in their call to educational arms" (Rohlen, 1995, p. 105). Although not measured as international test resu

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cally ranked for academic excellence, but all schools" (Lynn, 1988, p. 29). The public attention given to school rankings, even at the high school level, is comparable to the enthusiasm shown in the United States for professional sports teams. Ironically, once the Japanese student progresses through examination hell and gains entry to college, the pressure for academic achievement declines considerably. The situation is almost as if students are permitted a collective sigh of relief in recognition of the stress and deprivation endured during their elementary and secondary years: "The four years of a Japanese university, or two in the many junior colleges, other than 'making up' for the many years of intensive preparation, are leisurely ones for most Japanese university students" (Duke, 1986, p. 217). At the university level, the academic demands placed on American students far outweigh those placed on their Japanese counterparts. Granted, the failure rate at U.S. colleges and universities compares unfavorably to those of Japan. The failure rate at American institutions is considerable (about 40 percent) while the Japanese failure rate insignificant (Duke, 1986, p. 217). The difference in the failure rate between Japa
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Approximate Word count = 3934
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)