Is education in Japan is truly meritocratic?

Résumé du document

At first sight, Japanese education system seems to be truly meritocratic. Indeed, in Japanese consciousness, all are born equal. It is only thanks to their work and efforts, that they achieve their goals. As the education system is grounded on those principles, we may think that only the most studious and brilliant pupils will enter the top universities. Yet this statement should be qualified. Even if, from now on almost every student can get into a university, since the number of young people has decreased, the Japanese education system remains highly competitive, for entering the most prestigious tracks. In other words, it is as difficult as before to get in the top universities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo Institute of technology, Tohoku, Keio, Kyushu, Nagoya…), but as there is about 700 universities in Japan, the students who decided not to be competitive, can still graduate from High School to work in small local companies. As worldwide Japanese companies hire students only from top universities, we could hence first observe that upward mobility is directly related to academic merit. Is it to say that education system in Japan is truly meritocratic?

Extraits

[...] In fact a new trend is emerging: educational bifurcation. A growing percentage of Japanese students are ranked in the lowest level of achievement. At the other end of the spectrum, Japan has a higher percentage of students in the top level of mathematics ( 8.2 than any other OECD member, twice the OECD average ( 4.0 This is the heart of the growing inequality in Japanese education. While widening educational inequality is not uniquely Japanese, the recent PISA results reveal that the pace of change is unusual. [...]

[...] Among students from the same social class, the Japanese Education system is almost perfectly meritocratic. An entrance exam makes every student equal: students are strictly selected on their abilities and knowledge. That is purely the definition of meritocracy. That is the strength of such a system. Moreover even if a large majority of students in top universities come from upper class, they remain the best students of Japan, they proved their value and will power and therefore they deserve to be hired in top companies and become the next elite. [...]

[...] As a consequence, this education system which appeared to be very meritocratic reveals many negative aspects. This system tends to perfectly reproduce social inequities. As some other aspects of the Japanese society, the education system is highly conservative. To go further, that system is not far from being plutocratic. In addition making a child entering a famous juku or any other top school, requires sometimes more than money. Knowing the right person at the right place or having some political connections could be very helpful. [...]

[...] That is why the meritocracy of Japanese education is from now on highly debated. Nevertheless every year some students from disadvantaged social classes enter top universities. Are they the symbol of a pure meritocratic education system or just the exceptions which confirm the rule? “Sleep four hours, you pass, sleep five, you miss”. This is a very famous proverb in Japan about how hard you have to study to successfully manage the exam hell. To this extend, even if your parents have always pushed you and registered you in the best juku and high school, you are still far from passing the entrance exam. [...]

[...] That is why the Education system in Japan could be seen as truly meritocratic. To enter the best universities, which are the insurance of getting a well-paid job in the Japanese top companies, every student attends an entrance exam. Is there a more equal way, to reward and select the hardest working students? However, since the exam-hell has become the only way to be socially promoted, education in Japan has changed into a long life competition which begins at the elementary school. [...]