The Pendulum of Reform: Educational Change in Japan from the 1990s Onwards

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to sketch thecontexts, nature and actual impacts of currenteducational reforms in Japan. A brief overviewis provided of the basic characteristics of theJapanese education system and trends ineducational reforms since the 1990s. Focusingon curriculum and teaching in primary andsecondary education, the actual impact of theseeducational reforms upon schools is examined. The basic character of present day educationalreforms in Japan may be referred to as “educational disarmament”, since the emphasisis on considerably loosening up the system interms of reducing curriculum content and thenumber of weekly hours of schooling. This iscontributing to making the educational climateof Japanese schools much “milder” than before,and is said to have contributed to a loweringof pupil's educational achievement and toeducational opportunities among differentsocial groups becoming more polarized. TheJapanese situation has implications for thefuture orientation of educational reforms inother countries, particularly in theAsia-Pacific region.