In the Japanese school system, students begin elementary school at the age of six.
Six years of elementary school are followed by three years of junior high school. These nine years constitute compulsory education.
After that, high school is not compulsory, but most students enroll.
As a result, most Japanese people receive 12 years of education.
Starting in elementary school, students receive intensive group education.
I have experience as a junior high and high school teacher, but not as an elementary school teacher, so I will share with you stories I heard from elementary school staff.
Apparently, when students write personal opinions in essays, teachers ask them to correct them.
They said that they value cooperation within a group, not as individuals.
From an early age, they emphasize cooperation with others and group roles over individuality and personality.
My view on education is that one of a teacher’s jobs is to develop children’s individuality and potential.
However, the reality is the exact opposite: an education that values the group even at the expense of the individual.
This distorted education system creates the unique peer pressure inherent in Japanese people.
When I see so-called honor students who follow all of their teachers’ instructions and never miss school, they look like nothing more than robots to me.
Please forgive me, as this blog is the only place I can express my true feelings.
