No Lack of Diversity
In Dogs and Demons, Alex Kerr looks at Japan’s schools and finds a “denial of differences and an embrace of sameness” (290). He claims that Japanese students lack diversity because “schools teach children to behave and conform” (293) and because “obedience is largely what Japanese education is about” (293). I disagree with this assessment for various reasons.
First, I have no experience of teachers promoting “a denial of difference and an embrace of sameness”. True, harmony is important for running a classroom, but in the classroom discussions I have experienced, both the teachers and the students respected minority opinion. Following the Japanese proverb San-nin atumareba monju no chie (Two heads are better than one), we gathered many opinions about a matter before we reached a conclusion. I have always respected everyone in my class, and I think I have been respected by everyone else.
Teachers also evaluate the characters of their students. In the tsuuchihyou, the report card, teachers note their pupils’ strengths — like he or she comes to school early, and waters the flowers every day — and weaknesses — like he or she is late for class many times — in which case they admonish them to get up five minutes earlier.
Second, I don’t think it is fair to criticize the exam system in Kerr’s manner:
To pass examinations in Japan, students must learn facts, facts that are not necessarily relevant to each other or useful in life. The emphasis is on rote memorization. The Ministry of Education reviews all textbooks and standardizes their contents so that pupils across the country, both in public and private schools, read the same books. (295)
Memorization is an important element, and the contents are highly standardized across the country, but things don’t stop there. In recent years, the students’ personalities have also come to be emphasized. In university entrance examinations the description questions are gradually being increased, both at private and national universities. At education departments, for example, students are asked to analyze problems like bullying. Students are respected for their diverse individualities. Also, I think we cannot develop our characters without much knowledge, so knowing the facts is not as bad as Kerr implies. I think much knowledge also makes people’s hearts rich.
Third, a single visit to a school will confirm that students really are quite diverse. They have various hobbies: Some like drawing pictures, some like playing sports or listening to music. Also in sports, some like playing baseball, and others like playing basketball. In the high school I graduated from, students can choose whether they enter clubs or not, and all the activities in the clubs depend on them. I belonged to the soft tennis club; we always decided ourselves when to practice, we chose what to do in the activities, and there was no pressure by our teachers. We enjoyed club activity and it is one of my best memories.
Also in the classroom, there are many students who have unique personalities. I have many friends who have unique characters. Classroom is not the place where teachers control the their students but where they foster their personalities. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but in the classroom, we helped each other by exploiting both our merits and demerits. So students understand not only their own personality but their friends’ personalities as well.
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>Memorization is an important element
I agree with you. Having discussions and debating are also important in the field of education, but I think these things can be carried out with useful knowledge.