In late November 2002 Trends in Japan conducted an e-mail survey on attitudes toward education and images of the ideal school, and replies were received from 150 Japanese children (elementary school to high school age) and an equal number of parents. The survey revealed few differences between the ideas of children and those of parents on such matters as the role school should play, the ideal teacher, and the ideal school. Closer examination, however, shows significant differences in the way they think about school, including whether they like it, how much importance they place on it, what they hope it will provide in the way of practical training, and corporal punishment.

The survey also asked parents and children about their attitudes toward the new concept of yutori kyoiku, a relaxed style of education that gives children room to grow. It is currently being implemented in schools in such forms as the five-day school week and a reduced curriculum. More than 60% of both groups had negative feelings toward this concept, an attitude that may have a major impact on the future direction of education in Japan.

Kids More Interested in Practical Study
While Japan is known throughout the world for its high level of education, the country has recently been bucking the global trend by, in a sense, providing less education. Schools no long open on Saturdays, and the curriculum has been slimmed down. Japan is also reducing class sizes as part of the shift to what is called "education that gives children room to grow," thereby seeking to break free of schooling that has been likened by some to cramming students' heads with facts. These are controversial moves, and critics charge that they are likely to lead to a decline in academic ability.

The first question posed to respondents was whether they like (or "liked" in the case of parents) school; 80% of parents said they did, but only 70% of students agreed. By contrast, only 3% of parents reported that they had "hated" school, while 9% of students were extremely dissatisfied with it. Next, pollees were asked to select up to three things they wanted to learn or accomplish in school (or that they wanted for their children). The top five answers were the same for both children and parents. "Make friends," "get a solid grounding in academics," "build a well-rounded character," "receive a wide variety of experiences," and "acquire basic discipline and learn the rules of society" were named by between 30% and 80% of all respondents. The largest difference in opinion turned up in the importance placed on "develop the skills necessary for entrance examinations and future employment"; this was chosen by 20% of students but by just 1% of their parents. [See graph 1]

Attitudes toward the importance of schooling were covered next in a multiple-response question. The statement chosen most often by both children (66%) and parents (82%) was "children should miss as few days of school as possible." There was some disagreement, however, over whether family events like vacations constituted a good reason for skipping school. More children agreed with this notion, while more parents felt that school should take priority. There was also a differential in thinking about whether kids should try to go to school even when they have a slight cough or headache. Almost half the parents thought they should, but fewer than 40% of the children agreed.

Perceptions of Ideal Teachers and Schools
The attributes of the ideal teacher were examined in another multiple-response question. "Someone who is good at teaching" was the top response among the children (79%). Other popular choices among children, all with 70%-80% response rates, were "someone who is interesting," "someone who doesn't play favorites," and "someone who is approachable." The response that resonated best among parents was "doesn't play favorites"; it was chosen by 73%. In a tie for second place, at 65%, were "good at teaching," "approachable," and "someone children can respect." Among the less common responses, children picked "someone who doesn't believe in violence" more frequently than parents did, while parents picked "someone who metes out corporal punishment fairly and with compassion" more frequently than children did. [See graph 2]

Respondents were then asked to select ideal teachers from TV dramas and movies. (Multiple answers were given.) Named by 49%, the top choice of children was Eikichi Onizuka, the former motorcycle-gang-member-turned-teacher of the comic, TV drama, and movie GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) who does not back down from students. Coming in second among children at 43% was Kumiko Yamaguchi, the teacher in the TV drama and comic Gokusen who instructs students about duty and obligations. The passionate teacher Kinpachi Sakamoto from the TV drama San-nen B-gumi Kinpachi sensei (Year three, class B Kinpachi sensei) came in third with 42%. Kodai Kitano, the pure-hearted teacher of the drama Netchu jidai (The years of passion), was the top choice of parents, named by 55% as an ideal teacher. Sakamoto of Kinpachi sensei was second with 49%, and 31% selected Hisako Oishi, the kind teacher from the novel and movie Nijushi no hitomi (Twenty-four Eyes).

What type of school do students want to attend? And what type of school do parents want their children to attend? This was the query in another multiple-response question. The top five answers were the same for both children and parents: "a coeducational school," "a school with a free atmosphere," "a school without bullying," "a school with good facilities," and "a school with lots of interaction between students and teachers." Students and their parents differed, however, on the importance they placed on "a school that has a high percentage of its graduates go on to the next level of education or find employment." While this was chosen by 37% of students, just 23% of parents agreed. And "a unified school where students automatically go on to the next level of education" was named by 17% of students but just 10% of parents. Apparently children are more concerned about how education will impact on their immediate future.

The Gender Gap Among Students
There were a number of interesting differences in the attitudes toward school held by boys and girls. Whereas 23% of boys indicated that they "hate" or "don't like" school, the figure among girls was a higher 36%. In addition, boys seem to be more interested in the practical benefits of education. Whereas 25% of them hoped to "develop the skills necessary for entrance examinations and future employment" in school, just 15% of girls thought likewise. Boys also apparently place more importance on school itself than girls do. While 49% of girls saw family events like vacations as a valid reason for skipping school, this sentiment was shared by just 37% of boys. And while 47% of boys agreed that a slight cough or headache should not stop you from going to school, just 32% of girls felt the same way.

Boys and girls also had very different conceptions of the ideal teacher. The two most popular attributes named by boys were "someone who is good at teaching" (76%) and "someone who is interesting" (76%). Girls, though, selected "someone who doesn't play favorites" (88%) and "someone who is approachable" (84%). As for the ideal school, many more girls (72%) than boys (44%) said they wanted to attend "a school without bullying."

Skepticism About Recent Changes
Toward the end of the survey, the respondents were asked what is (or was) the best thing about school for them. Making close friends was the most common response among both children (53%) and parents (58%). Another of the final questions was about where schools come up lacking, and 41% of the students and 67% of the parents voiced concerns about the quality of the teachers. This question permitted the pollees to provide specific examples, of which the following are representative. A 15-year-old male middle school student stated, "It's too hard to understand what we're being taught." A 12-year-old girl in elementary school said, "None of the teachers think seriously about bullying." And a 43-year-old father commented, "The teachers lack passion and work ethics; they've turned into regular office workers."

Finally, mention should be made of the portion of the survey devoted to the government's attempt to introduce a new style of schooling that gives children room to grow. A full 68% of the parents and 60% of the children responded with negative views on the matter, while only 13% of the parents and 12% of the children were enthusiastic. An 18-year-old male high school student lamented, "There has actually been no relaxation at all. The pace of the courses has picked up, and there is more studying to do after school is out." An 18-year-old female high school student stated, "It's a contradictory change, since they're complaining about declining academic ability even as they add leeway to the curriculum." A 50-year-old father commented, "It's unfair to elementary and middle school students to make this change at a time when society still places great emphasis on academic credentials and universities still demand that you pass tough entrance exams." And a 43-year-old mother noted, "The time studying that was cut when the switch to the five-day school week was made has been offset by extra time studying at cram schools." [See graph 3]

To be sure, positive replies were also received. A 47-year-old parent noted, "The new system allows kids to have different experiences outside of school," and a 13-year-old junior high school student said, "With more free time, I'll be able to experience what different jobs are like."

It was only in April 2002 that the new system went into effect on a full-fledged basis. Whether it will work out cannot yet be determined. Clearly, though, it will take some time for not just teachers but also students and parents to get used to it.