#worldeducation

How is the Novel Coronavirus Reshaping the World of Education?

Ø Digital Education Format Leading to Surprising Innovations

Ø Quality of Learning is Now Dependent on Quality of Digital Access

Ø Institutes are Exploring New Ways to Keep Students Virtually Engaged

Ø To Run Online Classes Institutes Have Now Started Video-Conferencing

Ø Teachers are Re-Orienting Lesson Delivery Techniques to Conduct Classes Online

Ø Unplanned Closures Affecting Student Plans for Course Completion

I'm born in Japan, but attended primary school in Italy, middle and high school in an international school back in Japan, and I am currently studying in the United States. With a lot of moving and encountering different people, it shed light on a lot of my thoughts on education systems across the world.

There really does not exist a single education system that works for everyone in the world, and there probably won't be no matter how hard educators try. It really is up to the individual (or the parents) to seek for the best option for themselves, the best "fit", just like a pair of shoes.

Many people underestimate the power of education. No matter what kind of system you're in, you learn things. So what is good education and what should people try to earn out of education?

Consider a Japanese style education: Entrance Exams. While there exist exceptions, the primary method to enter a university in Japan is through taking an exam. High school students study their guts out to get into the university of their dreams, placing their bets on one that one paper they write. These kids spend a ridiculous amount of time going to cram school, often times skipping their classes in school. Why? At this point, these exams are no longer testing your pure knowledge of the material. There are companies who study trending topics for popular universities depending on past papers and sell material to parents and cram schools who teach according to what's 'hot". Students learn based on these statistics and simply try to beat the exam. Their goal is to beat the exam, right?

Take a step back and think about what it really means to receive education. Yes, getting into a university of your dreams may be important; maybe you want to be a researcher, maybe you want to be employed at some company, or maybe you just want it for the pride. But the Japanese way of geting into a university has derailed so much from the purpose of education that it is almost like beating a game of super mario brothers. Their goal is not to learn - it's just beating the game. The game of getting into university.

What's more, because these kids work so hard to get into college, once they've accomplished their mission in life, they forget to learn anything on the other side of the finish line. University is where you can concentrate on what you really want to learn, and it is where you really develop that inner personality of who you are. Yet these Japanese fluke out.

Who is it to blame? Is it the students? Is it the universities? One could think of a myriad of answers, but I believe it really is embedded in the intertwined nature of Japanese history and society that rejects uniqueness. Because of a strong hierarchy between classes of people, historically it was frowned upon to stand out in the crowd. Thus by nature, people had to race the same way: a national exam. Your personal essay, or your extracurricular activities had no significance in such society. It was purely fair and square, in a way.

While there is a lot of room for criticism, don't forget Japan currently has the world's 3rd largest economy with a population of just over a hundred million. It is the world leader on electronics and automobile manufacturing and the only Asian country in the G8 (Russia... is controversial with Moscow in Europe) with strong political power.

The educational system the Japan used was very successful in creating people who worked hard and diligently, followed the crowd and never complained. The economy surged from the strong work force and overall people were very knowledgeable of what they had to do. Manufacturing that involved good mathematical background and repetitive work was very suited for the Japanese, and thus came the Toyota and Sony. With the economic power in the 80's Japan became a global leader in exports and political voice.