Japanese testing system for high schools and universities are serious business not only for Japanese children and parents, but also for the teachers at school and juku, a type of school children attend after school. It is not uncommon for children at the age of 10 to study for 12 hours a day to prepare for the entrance exams for highly prestigious junior high schools.
Taku was a juku teacher in Japan for 15 years. He was teaching a group of children who were aiming to enter the top 3 boys/girls junior high schools which were considered as highly prestigious. He has seen some children succeed and thrive under the pressure, while some suffered serious anxiety issues. Since he had his own children, he started questioning the Japanese education system more, he decided to leave the country to live and raise his children in New Zealand.
In Japan, the new curriculum will be officially introduced from 2020. It will focus more on learner-centred, active learning model just like in Australia and New Zealand. However, there is already some level of confusion among Japanese teachers.
Taku speaks to SBS about the differences between Japanese education system and New Zealand, and also speaks about his book, "Gakkou Kyouiku ga Garatto Kawarukara Imakara Hajimeru Oyano Manabi (学校教育がガラッと変わるから親が知るべき今から始める子どもの学び)."
