Comparative analysis of a nation with a high standard school system with a nation with a low standard school system.
Japan is a nation of 126.7 million citizens as at 2017, and its area is 377,973 km square. Its 2018 GDP estimate is $5.0 trillion, with $40,106 per capita income. Japan is the third largest economy in the world just behind China.
According to the Tokyo International Communication Committee's website, "Children who have their 6th birthday on or before April 1 enter the first grade of elementary school that year". Japanese kids undergo compulsory elementary to junior high education —from grade 1-9. A child would be 15 years old at the completion of his/her compulsory schooling. They practice the 6-3-3-4 system of education.
The Japanese education system has a number of opened opportunities for students to explore different educational types like the college of technology, junior college, university, and other training colleges on various skills.
The system of education in Japan ranks high among fellow education systems among the OECD (organisation for economic cooperation development) nations, even though that the education system in Japan emphasizes the need for students to do well in exams. Students ability to score high in exams determines their chance of progressing on the higher forms of learning. Japanese technology-centered economy encourages education in science and technology which enormously help to drive the nation’s advancement.
The teaching framework of Japanese schools encourages the instilling of good moral value on students and the need for them to delve deeper in scientific and technical education. The system develops individual student in all-around knowledge through intense individualistic aptitude approach. It also develops individuals’ talents and guides students toward their realizing their future career.
Japanese place high expectation on education, hence they are concerned about making it consistently high in quality. Also, teachers are held in the high pedestal as much responsibilities are given to them. The teachers carry on their responsibilities dutifully as they work assiduously to provide strong academic value to students.
99.9% of Japanese school-age children go to school. Ninety percent of all new Japanese teachers now have a 4-year college degree with most having majored in fields other than education.
Breakthrough into a strong academic system in Japan took place after the end of the Second World War when the nation adapted America-Education Mission ideology of incorporating teacher education into the university learning system. Japanese education administration is carried out by the education center. The education center carries out researches, provide counseling and guidance to all the 47 prefectures and 10 large municipalities. It is financed by the municipal board of education with 28 full-time specialists (including five administrators).
The smooth running of Japan’s education is influenced by the Japanese Teachers Union who enjoys a measure of autonomy and takes an active part in influencing the nations decision body, the General Council, as to the way forward for even more stronger academic system.
Now let's look at the other side of the spectrum of education system standard and see a nation with low education standard. Nigeria is a nation with 190.9 million citizens in 2017 estimate, and its area is 923,768 km square, about three times bigger than Japan. 2018 GDP is $397billion, and $2,050 per capita. That is twenty times less than per capita income of the Japanese citizens.
Nigeria like Japan adopted the 6-3-3-4 system of education after discarding the 8-5-3-2 system that the British who colonized it and gave it independence practiced. The 6-3-3-4 system was briefly improved with the introduction of free primary to junior secondary school education, UBE program, in 1999.
The political upheavals along with a number of other inconsistencies in Nigeria terribly affected the education sector. Policies guiding the education system are ignorantly abandoned or poorly implemented.
Toward the independence year, all organizational systems which the British held were relinquished to the Nigerian less trained experts, who simply had no knowledge of how to smoothly run the organizations. They eagerly pursued their personal interest along the ethnic and tribal line.
The result of the selfish pursuit was chaos, which degenerated into intertribal warfare of which the civil war of 1967-1970 held a terrible historical fact on the nation’s progress. The baby education organization almost crumbled, especially, the education structure of the region that was assumed to be the instigators of the civil unrest, the South Eastern region. The policies in education which were heavily influenced by the military regime happened to have elements of marginalization against the region.
Such seemingly small act did create the resounding outcome of which the repercussions are still being experienced today. Among the terrible consequences is the appointment of novices to direct the affairs of the highly sophisticated education boards.
In 1977, the nation set up a committee that drafted the defunct National Policy on Education framework, which was revised in 1981 and 1990. The policy was less adhered to. There was also the collapse of the economy in later 1980s due to the global economic slowdown as oil price fell.
The resultant chaos caused serious civil unrest that crippled the education sector in Nigeria of which there where a number of strike actions that affected a whole school year of 1992-1993. The public school suffered immeasurable damages, such as malfunctioning of the administrative board, inadequate funding, the poor working of the teachers training colleges of education, and the revival of the academic system now saw the growth of privately owned schools.
The private schools, though a form of replacement to the decayed public school institutions has their own serious consequences among which is the inconsistencies in the scheme of work, and learning methods. Each to its ways and the door for despicable activities is apparently let open to this day.
It is not a surprise that the system is terrible where graduates can’t defend themselves and every student is mentally hardwired to make money at all cost. This obviously cannot continue. There must be drastic and swift changes in the right way, and this must take place soon.
What is the way forward fellow country people? I will like to be criticized. Write your point of view in the comment box.
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