Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2001 >Capter1 Section1

Education in Japan since the end of the Second World War has accomplished a great deal by responding to the demands of the times, first by realizing a policy of equal opportunity for education, then by raising the educational level of the Japanese people, and further by serving as the engine for the development of the nation's economy and society. At present, however, people's trust in education appears to have been shaken enormously.

  First of all, it has been pointed out that the "educational functions" of the family and local community have declined remarkably against the background of the urbanization of Japanese society and the dwindling number of children. At school, bullying, non-attendance, school violence and other types of problematic behavior by children and students have become prevalent. So-called "class disruption" has turned into a major social issue. Outside school, there have been ever-increasing incidences of previously unimaginable vicious crimes committed by young people. Furthermore, at home, where education is supposed to begin, a variety of serious problems such as child abuse and a breakdown in communication between family members have emerged.

  Second, there is a spreading tendency among youth to neglect society. This tendency is not totally unrelated with young people's declining association with society. It can be traced at least partially to a social trend placing too much emphasis on individual freedom and rights as well as dramatic changes in the environment surrounding children, which are ever reducing the opportunities for children to train and develop themselves while building relationships with other people around them and associating themselves with society at large. At home, children have their own private rooms and the development and spread of mobile phones and other information equipment allow them to avoid getting closely involved with family members even though they share the same house. Also when playing, there seems to be increasingly less time spent in peer groups outside and more and more time spent playing video games at home. This phenomenon of the thinning socialization of children is thought to be leading to a decline in young people's sense of respect for rules and models and further aggravating their tendency to neglect society or recede into a "world of solitude."

  Third, the standardization of education due to excessive egalitarianism and the cramming of too much knowledge into children has tended to push aside education geared more to fit the individuality or capabilities of children. Education and instruction at school have been provided more or less uniformly to go in tandem with the level of understanding of average children, making classroom lessons boring to children with a quick understanding and difficult for children who need longer to understand. As a consequence, there has emerged a noticeable trend that levels of understanding and satisfaction decline as grades go up. It has also been pointed out that the present educational system, including the school system and modality of entrance examinations, has not been constructed in a manner that encourages the maximum growth of individuality and capability in each and every child.

  Fourth, it has also been pointed out that amid the accelerating pace of change in social and economic conditions, such as the rapid advances of science and technology, globalization of the economy and informatization, the whole education system from elementary and secondary grades to higher education as well as the awareness and attitudes of people involved in this system are not necessarily responding adequately to the development of the times or society.

  As summarized above, it appears the present education system is not necessarily responding fully and adequately to social and economic changes as well as the changes that have been taking place in the environment surrounding children. In response to a variety of problems concerning education, society as a whole (including schools, homes and communities) is being urged to reconsider the modality of the school system, in addition to institutional reforms and revamped measures centering on schools themselves.