On The Education System of Japan

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Originally uploaded by shio.

For six months I lived in Japan, in the city of Nagano, a great sprawling mess of a place in the foothills of the Japanese Alps. I taught English conversation, as one does, and spent many a great lesson talking with my students about things that mattered.

Or rather, I didn't.

Perhaps the most enlightening conversation I had was with a stranger on the streets near my school. I was heading home one night, when this balding slob of a Japanese man lurched my way and started talking. His English was excellent, and I could tell from his gesticulations that he had spent time abroad (I could tell, because none of my students gesticulated, even when that was the focus of the lesson).

I was anxious to get away from him, though I don't know why. I suppose I don't take kindly to unwanted or unasked for companions, and as he leaned over me spitting the words out, I look around for an escape.

He went on and on as though he hadn't spoken English in so long that he was like a drunk who had travelled too long looking for a toilet. He went from one topic to another, with barely a pause for breath; he talked about the fine sporting venues in Nagano, once the host of the Winter Olympics, and he encouraged me to join one of the swimming clubs. "I will, I will," I reassured him, lying with a weak smile.

But then, all of a sudden, he became interesting. "What do you think of Japanese students?" he asked me. Instantly I thought back to my studies of Japanese culture, and responded politely as I thought he expected me to: "They work very hard and are good students." Or something similarly void of sentiment. "They're ignorant!" he said, practically shouting at me. I was taken aback by what he said, and couldn't believe it. The Japanese youth of today - ignorant? It seemed absurd. Look at what modern Japan produces: Sony, Toshiba, Fuji, Kitano Takeshi-san. How could one possibly suggest ignorance in such a society? The man looked at me, and for the first time I looked at him, and there was a silence that was at once uncomfortable and dearly welcome. I took my leave of him, shaking his hand and memorising his features so I could avoid him better in the future.

I've dwelt on that conversation often, and I regret not having paid more attention. I realise what the mistake was that I made: I've always considered "ignorance" and "intelligence" to be polar opposites on the same scale. That isn't true. Whilst it is wonderful to possess a little intelligence, it is possible at the same time to be greatly ignorant. It is a variant of the nature versus nurture debate; one can surely be born intelligent (and this intelligence can be developed with help, so it straddles nature and nurture), but the only cure of ignorance is good education, either delivered by a teacher or a parent or personally through reading and exposure to culture.

The educational system employed by Japan is not one that I would wish on any future children of mine. The Japanese work ethic is formidable, and learnt well at an early age, but despite all the lessons and hours spent at "cram school" Japanese students are not encouraged to think critically. And if you are unable to think critically, then you are not able to evaluate the information being supplied to you, and so if this information is useless or false you remain ignorant.

This practice has gained world attention recently, with the the release of a new set of Japanese textbooks. These books gloss over Japan's war years, making light of such atrocities as the "Rape of Nanjing," and have caused a major diplomatic storm between Japan and its neighbours China and South Korea.

If this is what is being taught in Japanese schools, perhaps it will be a long time before the pervading culture of ignorance comes to an end.

Three interesting asides. One: I had one student in particular who attended these "cram schools," and whenever she came in and apologised for being late (though she never was), because of her trouble with pronunciation, it always sounded like she had come straight from "clown school."

Two: I once tested my students on their general knowledge as part of a lesson: they were each given a map of the world, and a set of pictures of major landmarks, such as the Great Wall of China, and the Eiffel Tower. The lesson taught communication skills - they had to tell each other where to place each landmark on the map - but although their English was effectively spot on, their guesses were not. One student even placed The White House in Mongolia, which was quite amusing.

Three: a serious consequence of the early years of schooling in Japan, where students are pushed harder than anywhere else I know (most don't stop studying until ten at night), is that university is seen as a prize awarded on admittance, and once reached no further work must be done to secure it. There are parallels with the English system, but I've seen my brother studying at university, and he works very hard, much harder even than at his A-Levels, and he's going to be a great success. That doesn't appear to be the attitude shared by many in Japan.