Education in Contemporary Japan: Inequality and Diversity

Description

A balanced introduction to and examination of contemporary Japanese education. While the post-war system of schooling has provided valuable ingredients for economic success, it has been accompanied by unfavourable developments such as excessively competitive exams, stifling uniformity, bullying, and an undervaluing of non-Japanese ethnicity. This book offers up-to-date information and new perspectives on schooling in contemporary Japanese society, and uses detailed ethnographic studies and interviews with students and teachers. It examines the main developments of modern schooling in Japan, from the beginning of the Meiji era up to the present, and includes analysis of the most recent reforms. It develops a new picture of the role that schooling plays for individuals and the wider society. Essential reading for students and educators alike.

'... a re-examination of Japan's education system is timely, and Ikano and Tsuchiya's book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of this complex topic ... One of the great strengths of this book is that it examines closely the ways in which various protagonists in the education process interact ...'. JRAI