Kawabata Signals Education Changes

Staff writer for the Japan Times, Mariko Kato, posted an interview piece with new Education Minister Kawabata Tatsuo. The headline for the piece was ‘Education Chief Takes Liberal Path’, but I think Kato is a little confused about some of the differences between liberalism and conservatism. Few of the policies mentioned by Kawabata are particularly ‘non-conservative’, except perhaps the new government policy to make High School tuition free for all students. But even this is only bringing Japan in line with virtually every other country in the developed world. And given the amount of taxes that are being paid in this country, universal free education through high school should have been one of the very first priorities for spending it….

One of the major policies that was discussed in this article is the DPJ’s plan to decentralize education policy, by giving more power to local bodies and taking power away from central government control. Contrary to the headline of the piece, this is a conservative policy. Conservatives in the US, for example, have long argued for a decrease in the power of the Department of Education, insisting instead that local school boards and communities be responsible for setting school curriculum and policies. This is exactly what Kawabata is proposing:

“I think schools should be run by a kind of school council of teachers, students, the PTA and the community”.

 

You won’t get any arguments from me on that one. Parents, along with the school staff and other immediate stake holders should be the ones setting policy for their own children, and if the government are able to decentralize the current powers of the National Education Ministry that can only be a positive step in getting parents and the community more involved in the education of their children – something that has been increasingly lacking in recent years. The national ministry should set guidelines, using their expertise and experience. But local school boards should be responsible for administering and implementing these guidelines, on a case by case basis targeted to the needs of individual students and communities.

Having stated that he wants a more decentralized approach to education however, Kawabata then goes on to explain his priorities, and what he wants education to focus on. He says that:

“Increasing numbers of children cannot apply knowledge in a practical way… There are fewer opportunities to go out into the community or nature, and fewer children have experienced camping or fishing… and there are social problems where children lack kindness and basic knowledge…”

 

I’m not really sure what business it is of the Minister of Education whether or not children go camping or fishing. Indeed, these comments seem to completely contradict Kawabata’s assertion that he seeks a decentralized approach to education. Surely it is up to parents and local teachers to determine the kinds of extra-curricula activities undertaken by children. And if we start looking to the national government to instill ‘kindness’ in our children, we are certainly looking to the wrong place…

I heartily agree with the Minister’s stated desire to decentralize educational policy, and to give more responsibility to local teachers and parents. Indeed, in recent years I feel that parents have not taken enough responsibility for the performance and social attitudes of their children. Just a few days ago I was having a discussion with a few Japanese parents, and they were commenting on what they had seen at a recent sports day they attended. They said that the children didn’t seem as excited or energetic as they used to in years gone by, and as a whole their social skills seem to have diminished as compared to a decade or two ago. This is completely anecdotal of course, but I’m sure that these are not the only such examples of children that seem less able to cope with their fast paced lives.

Children at a younger and younger age are expected to make decisions that used to be made by their parents, and so many parents seem to see it as ‘progressive’ to allow their young children to stay up to all hours of the night, do what they like, and even talk back to their elders, without so much as a reprimand. Other parents are simply too tired or wrapped up in their lives to deal with discipline of their children. Teachers are also unable to scold children, for fear of being reprimanded themselves. All of this seems to create an atmosphere where children increasingly have the balance of power in homes and schools, where once that authority was held firmly by parents and teachers.

I have seen this in numerous homes, and it is certainly not a ‘Japan-only’ phenomenon. I remember when I was a young child, I had a clear bed-time, and I was told firmly and clearly when i was misbehaving. Its not only about discipline either, but having parents (and teachers) that have the time and energy to be more present in the lives of the children they are responsible for. I’ve seen so many teachers that are over-worked and tired, who not only have to teach, but get involved in school clubs and so many other activities. Its my opinion that many young children seem to be missing these kind of clear guidelines in their lives, and parents and teachers need to step up and be more present in everything that is going on. I feel that teachers need to be allowed to just teach, and all other responsibilities should be shifted to parents and others in the community. I can’t help by feel that if teachers were freed up to just teach, the performance levels and learning levels of children would increase dramatically. As it is, I know too many teachers that are just too tired to give adequate time and emphasis to preparing interesting and truly inspiring lessons.

The further removed from the home are policies and decisions related to the teaching and development of children, the more all of these problems are likely to be made worse. I look forward to the Kawabata plan of decentralizing more education related decisions, and hope that these ideas will not slip into the background once the Minister realizes that he can wield the power himself if he so pleases…

Related posts:

1. Govt. White Paper: ‘Law Abiding Spirit’ in Decline

Tags: Children, Decentralization, Kawabata Tatsuo, Minister of Education, Parents, Shools, Teachers