Written by: Youki
I have experience attending an international school overseas. However, for half of my elementary school years, I went to a public school in Japan.
You're probably thinking that elementary school is no different from any other school.
Elementary school is the grade where you can see the biggest difference in the curriculum and the place where you can enjoy the differences in the curriculum the most.
I went from an ordinary public elementary school to an international school out of nowhere. Of course, the biggest difference was the language barrier, but there were also crucial differences in educational policies and study styles that I felt as a child.
In this article, I would like to write about the differences between education in Japan and overseas, the points where Japanese education is superior to overseas education, the points where we can learn from overseas education, and the points where overseas education was better.
Please note that this is only an experience, and that there are differences between schools, and that the term "overseas education" covers a wide variety. If you have any other experiences like this, please let me know. Please share your precious experiences in the comments section if you feel the same way!
Advantages of Japanese Education System
I had attended an international school overseas. However, I have also experienced education in Japanese public schools, although I was in elementary school.
The best thing about Japanese education is that it is "average".
There is not much dropout, and the teachers do their best to support the students. All students grow to average academic ability and can study the same things.
It is the best education system to make good people on average.
Isn’t this afoul?
Not at all.
All the students, even if there are some variations, will receive similar education throughout the country and will have the same level of academic ability.
This is not possible easily.
Moreover, it is possible to receive such a high-quality education in a public school, and the environment is so well organized in a public school.
I’ll take my hat off to the excellence of that Japanese education.
It is not necessarily a bad thing that good person are raised on average. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have good people on average.
It's not uncommon for a student to excel in one subject and not in the rest.
In international schools, the academic performance of students varies greatly and they are divided into different classes.
Students who can do well are not paired with those who can't, and those who can do well are paired with those who can do well to move on to more in-depth content and receive higher evaluations.
Those who can do well are paired with those who can't, and they move on to more in-depth content.
If you create such a system and end up in a group that can't do something, it's hard to get out of it.
It's hard to get out of such a system. It's not a kind thing to ask. You have to say to the teacher, "teach me this!” You have to ask the teacher to teach you.
And the students who do that are the ones who are evaluated. You have to sit at your desk, write your notes, and ask the teacher, "Who can understand this question? That kind of mediocrity is great in the eyes of the world.
Japanese education has its own merits and demerits. There are also many advantages.
Do Not Have Enough Active Learning
We have seen the advantage of the Japanese education system, but of course, there are some disadvantages.
The biggest one is probably the lack of "active learning". Active learning refers to presentations, Socratic seminars, and student-led classes.
In a classroom, the teacher teaches and the students learn unless there is an irregular situation. The only opportunity for students to speak is when they have a question, or when they raise their hand and are pointed to.
That's not active at all.
In real active learning, the teacher only watches. They don't interfere in any way. The teacher doesn't make the progress, or the flow of the presentation, or make it better. Whether you become good or bad at it is entirely up to you.
Presentation
Presentation. This is something that is slowly being adopted in Japan in recent years.
The number of presentations in Japan is overwhelmingly small. The presentations are given at least once or twice a month in an international school.
Presentations are a great way to practice your public speaking skills as you present your research and assignments to your classmates and teachers.
This is a great way to develop your public speaking skills. It requires more communication skills than submitting a written presentation, and you will also learn logical thinking as you have to communicate with others.
Socratic Seminar
In addition, there is sometimes a style called Socratic Seminar which is an unheard name.
The purpose of these seminars is to "discuss together", as opposed to a presentation style, where the presentation is one-sided and the classmates only listen.
Rather than one person giving a presentation and the others absorbing the information, everyone is encouraged to share their opinions, deepen their understanding, and improve their opinions, which is a characteristic of the Socratic seminar.
It is important to note that the discussion is not about defeating the other person's opinion, but about respecting and incorporating each other's opinions.
The Merit of American School
Now that we have looked at the advantages and disadvantages of Japanese education, let's take a look at the American School, a common international school curriculum.
The American School here refers to the international school system, which is different from the public schools in the U.S. mainland.
One of the biggest advantages of the American School is its "flexibility.” They are open to new things and new ideas.
An American School is also a place with freedom respected.
The American school is free in every way, from how you schedule your classes to how you earn credits. You can even negotiate your grades.
Many schools incorporate STEM education, require imagination, and do not measure students only by paper tests.
Project-based American schools may have fewer tests, but they are more like universities, with many assignments. The assignments vary from the presentations, seminars, and discussions mentioned in the previous section, to essay submissions.
You can also acquire skills that you can use in practice.
Still Imperfect
Of course, the American School is not perfect.
The "freedom" that is the hallmark of the American school can be irreversible if you go in the wrong direction.
If you fail a course, even junior high school students can be "retained".
On the other hand, this freedom and self-responsibility make it difficult for some students.
Not coming to school, not coming to class, not taking tests, getting low test scores, this is also a part of freedom.
The school wants the students to graduate, so we support them, but it is rare for the school to step in and help them. It's up to the counseling session and then the student is free to do whatever they want.
This "freedom" can be an advantage, but it can also turn into a phobia.
The Remarkable Difference is 〇〇
It is difficult to make a general comparison between education in Japan and overseas, as there are many different types of education abroad.
However, Japanese education is "well-rounded" in every way.
The Japanese system favors "averages," and is perfect for creating "good kids" in general without showing too many characteristics.
However, it lacks flexibility, takes a long time to tackle new things, and has far less active learning. It relies on memorization-based education, not deepening thinking, and most long-term memory will be trained.
Such is Japan's education, and although it is controversial in the eyes of the world, it is generally a "great" education system.
As a public school, the Japanese education system is commendable for being able to maintain this quality of education in a well-equipped environment and almost free of charge.
Finally
In this article, we have looked at some of the critical differences between the Japanese education system and the foreign (mainly American) education system.
Japan has an average education system that is not very flexible but has a good environment.
This education system could be even better if a few improvements were incorporated. It could incorporate active learning and be a little more flexible in its thinking.
In the American school system, freedom is respected, but that freedom can sometimes turn against you. It's a very American way of education in the land of the free.
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The Japanese version of the article is available here.
当記事の日本語版はこちらからアクセス可能です。
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