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Japan 's Overall Education System Essay

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While Japan’s overall education system seems to be simple and effective, it is not without its flaws, and people not used to certain societal aspects of Japan may not find the education system very appealing. In fact, some of the reasons for Japan’s educational success may also contribute to negative consequences if taken too far. For example, Dr. Yoneyama, a professor in Asian Studies at The University of Adelaide in Australia, wrote a book in 2012 about several issues surrounding Japanese students. One concern she mentioned was the pressure on the students to strive for their academic achievements. Since the education is regarded so highly in Japan and the Japanese believe that they should do their best in all they do, Yoneyama (2012) says that schools in Japan do not need to pressure students to work hard, but they instead provide guidance for students to try harder for a specific end goal (p. 135). The problem with this is that some students who fail to meet such expectations seem to take their failure harshly, as do their peers, which may result in those students being bullied. However, in an online magazine article of The Atlantic, Berlatsky (2013) said that the bullying in Japan “has actually been seen by many parents and teachers as a feature not a bug.” The Japanese system encourages students to do their best, and if they are not able to meet expectations, it is the job of their peers to help motivate them to do better. The problem with this is that the motivation
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