The Importance of Academic Background in Japan: Does It Have A Positive or Negative Influence on Japanese School Education Today? Haruka Koshiko News about educationgaku-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 peoples 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( ) 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 (Asahi shimbun 2015a) .. (Asahi shimbun 2015b) 3.1) An equal opportunity of education The importance of academic background made Achievement( ) 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 (MEXT 2015b) MEXT Education Reform for the Future Asked high schools (2013) (Sugino 2014) 4.2) Warped education Asked high schools (2013) 2(53.6%) 1(65.0%) 3(39.2%) School education focuses on examination Society focuses more on academic backgrounds Examination competition 4.2) Warped education (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 2013 https://pixta.jp/illustration/ 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( ) 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 (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) (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 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 Students 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