Mission accomplished? School mission statements in NZ and Japan: what they reveal and conceal

Abstract

Primary schooling, where the majority of students start learning formally about social interaction and civic expectations, reflects much about a nations’ approach to education and the goals for their citizens. After a brief comparison of the purpose of education in both New Zealand and Japan, through the use of textual and content analysis, this paper firstly analyzes school mission (vision) statements to explore the degree of diversity that exists within the public school sector in New Zealand and Japan. One hundred and fifty primary school mission statements in New Zealand and Japan were examined and grouped according to content and common themes based on a modified and simplified version of Stemler and Bebell (The school mission statement: values, goals, and identities in American education, Routledge, New York 2012)’s rubric. Next, the results of this survey were compared with a previous Japanese one (BERD) (School education statements. The present state of education 2010), then cross-culturally by an examination of the main concepts that emerged in both countries. Finally, the paper attempts to shed light on the overall differences that exist between the two nations’ primary education systems and what these reveal about its role in the respective societies in terms of the fostering of citizens for potential future contribution in the world.