The Importance of Academic Background in Japan: Does It Have A Positive or Negative Influence on Japanese School Education Today? Haruka Koshiko

News about education gaku-tabi.com- information-park.com- matome.naver.jp- (MEXT 2015b, 2015c)

The Importance of Academic Background in Japan: Does It Have A Positive or Negative Influence on Japanese School Education Today? Haruka Koshiko

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Defining Terms The Importance of Academic Background in Japan: Does It Have A Positive or Negative Influence on Japanese School Education? Academic Background: A qualification of graduation you have, such as middle school, high school, or university graduate. Or an academic level or a rank of school you graduated from (OLEX 2008; Britannica 2009) Importance (Important): ‘Something influences on people’s lives or events in the future’ (Longman 2009)

2. Defining Terms The Importance of Academic Background in Japan: Does It Have A Positive or Negative Influence on Japanese School Education Today? Positive: ‘A quality or a feature that is good or useful’ Negative: ‘Something bad or harmful’ Influence: ‘The effect that has on the way that works or develops’ (Longman 2009)

2. Defining Terms The question is…. Does the importance of school level have a good or bad effect on Japanese school education today?? NEGATIVE: The importance of school level has bad effects on Japanese school education today POSITIVE: The importance of school level has good effects on Japanese school education today

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

3. Positive 3.1) An equal opportunity of education 3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education

3.1) An equal opportunity of education The importance of academic background made Achievement( 業績主義 ) ・・・・ Your education is decided by your achievement Everyone-Any education! (*depends on your academic effort) (Honda 2007: 61-65)

3.1) An equal opportunity of education Can everyone get any education?? ScholarshipFinancial aidWho can apply Financial loan (Tsuda)TuitionStudents who have a good grade and who have financial difficulties Financial loan (Japan student service organization) Academic fee for four yearsStudents who have a good grade and who have financial difficulties Financial scholarship (Public college) TuitionStudents who have a good grade and who have financial difficulties Ex. Poverty Table 1: College scholarships for students in poverty (2015) Source: JASSO 2015,Tsuda 2015 …… “ 高校時代はボロボロのシューズを履 き恥ずかしい思いをした。私はもがくよ うに勉強し大学へ奨学金を借りながら 通っている。 ”…… (Asahi shimbun 2015a) ….. “ お金持ちになりたいと思ってずっと 勉強していました。貧困を脱するには学 歴だ、と。 ”…… (Asahi shimbun 2015b)

3.1) An equal opportunity of education The importance of academic background made Achievement( 業績主義 ) ・・・・ Your education is decided by your achievement Everyone-Any education! (*depends on your academic effort) (Honda 2007: 61-65)

3. Positive 3.1) An equal opportunity of education 3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education

3. Positive 3.1) An equal opportunity of education 3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education

3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education Figure 1: The change of rate of entering higher education (university, college, and vocational school)(2015) Started focusing on academic backgrounds more Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (2011) →The importance of academic background promotes people to go to higher education

3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education Figure 2: The main reasons for entering university (asked four-years university students in 2005) (Benesse 2015)

→The importance of academic background promotes people to go on to higher education 3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

4. Negative 4.1) Financial inequality 4.2) Warped education

4.1) Financial inequality Figure 2: Parental Income and Career after Senior High School(2009) Source: MEXT 2015a

4. Negative 4.1) Financial inequality 4.2) Warped education

Society focuses more on academic backgrounds ↓ Examination competition ↓ 4.2) Warped education “ 現状の高等学校教育、大学入学者選抜は、知識の 暗記・再生に偏りがちで、思考力・判断力・表現 力や、主体性を持って多様な人々と協働する態度 など、真の「学力」が十分に育成・評価されてい ない。 ” “ 我が国の子供たちについては、判断の根拠や理由 を示しながら考えを述べること、自己肯定感や学 習意欲、社会参加の意識の低さ等において課題が 指摘されており、子供の自信を育み能力を引き出 すことが必ずしも十分にできておらず、教育基本 法の理念が十分に実現しているとは言い難い状況 です。 ” (MEXT 2015b) MEXT Education Reform for the Future

Asked high schools 「あなたの学校で強化すべき役割や機能」 (2013) ア基礎学力の向上 イ 進学に対応できる学力の育成 ウ 食育･健康教育 エ 人権･道徳教育 オ シチズンシップ教育 カ 自然体験･環境教育 キ 日本の伝統･文化理解教育 ク 国際理解教育 ケ インターンシップ･キャリア教育 コ 消費者・金融教育 サ その他 (Sugino 2014) 4.2) Warped education

Asked high schools 「あなたの学校で強化すべき役割や機能」 (2013) ア基礎学力の向上 2(53.6%) イ 進学に対応できる学力の育成 1(65.0%) ウ 食育･健康教育 エ 人権･道徳教育 オ シチズンシップ教育 カ 自然体験･環境教育 キ 日本の伝統･文化理解教育 ク 国際理解教育 ケ インターンシップ･キャリア教育 3(39.2%) コ 消費者・金融教育 サ その他 →School education focuses on examination

Society focuses more on academic backgrounds ↓ Examination competition ↓ 4.2) Warped education “ 現状の高等学校教育、大学入学者選抜は、知識の 暗記・再生に偏りがちで、思考力・判断力・表現 力や、主体性を持って多様な人々と協働する態度 など、真の「学力」が十分に育成・評価されてい ない。 ” “ 我が国の子供たちについては、判断の根拠や理由 を示しながら考えを述べること、自己肯定感や学 習意欲、社会参加の意識の低さ等において課題が 指摘されており、子供の自信を育み能力を引き出 すことが必ずしも十分にできておらず、教育基本 法の理念が十分に実現しているとは言い難い状況 です。 ” (MEXT 2015b) MEXT Education Reform for the Future

Table 2: OECD students’ motivation towards math(2012) Motivation towards Math % of Japanese students OECD average Rank of Japan Interest /65 Motivation /65 Confidence /65 Anxiety /65 Source: NIER

Society focuses more on academic backgrounds ↓ Examination competition ↓ 4.2) Warped Education Stress Nervous breakdown Sleep disorder Suicide (Julius 2002) Figure 3: Source: MHLW 2014

4.2) Warped education

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Analysis 3.1) An equal opportunity of education Achievement( 業績主義 ) ・・・・ Focusing on your achievement=academic background Ex. Today Everyone-Any education! (*depends on your academic effort) →This system makes an equal opportunity of education POSITIVE: The importance of school level has good effects on Japanese school education

→The importance of academic background promotes people to go on to higher education Analysis 3.2) Encouraging people to higher education

大学入学後の 「再受験」急 増 ９年で６ ０倍 (Asahi shimbun database 2013) Analysis 3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education

→The importance of academic background promotes people to go on to higher education Analysis 3.2) Encouraging people to go on to higher education

Analysis 4.1) Financial inequality Figure 2: Parental Income and Career after Senior High School(2009) Source: MEXT (2015)

「奨学金から 塾代、生活保 護費減らさず 厚労省が見直 しへ」 (Asahi shimbun database 2015) Children in poverty can go to cram school →It may lead them to go to higher education Analysis 4.1) Financial inequality

Figure 2: Parental Income and Career after Senior High School(2009) Source: MEXT (2015)

Analysis 4.2) Warped education

Analysis 4.2) Warped education Figure 4: Rate of colleges which used “AO 入試 ” Source: MEXT 2013

Analysis 4.2) Warped education Figure 5: Rate of colleges which used “Recommendation-based entrance exam” Source: MEXT 2013

Analysis 4.2) Warped education →Student’s education towards exams is improving??

Analysis 4.2) Warped education

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

3. Positive 3.1) An equal opportunity of education 3.2) Leading people to higher education 4. Negative 4.1) Financial inequality 4.2) Warped education

6. Conclusion Q. The Importance of Academic Background in Japan: Does It Have A Positive or Negative Influence on Japanese School Education Today? A. Negative

Outline 1.Introduction 2.Defining Terms 3.Evidence for Positive 4.Evidence for Negative 5.Analysis 6.Conclusion

Thank you Haruka Koshiko