Government Regulations
The Japanese Ministry of Education has admitted that the education system and parental pressure are taking their toll on the children of Japan. Educational reforms that the Ministry of Education has enacted beginning in the 1970s have challenged Japan’s egalitarian school system. In order to decrease academic pressure among students resulting from examination competition, the Ministry of Education cut school hours and increased non-academic activities such as recess and club activities in elementary and junior high schools.
In 2002, the central government reduced school hours again, decreased content, and introduced new curriculum at all public elementary schools to encourage individual students’ learning interests and motivation. The Japanese Ministry of Education has also published a white paper stating that children don’t have opportunities like “’coming into contact with nature, feeling awe and respect for life, and experiencing the importance of hard work learning from difficulties’”.
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