Commentary / Japan Feb 19, 2017

Nursery schools: quantity and quality matter

Admission into nursery school is no assurance of a quality education.

Commentary / Japan Feb 7, 2017

No wide agreement on how to handle bullying

A better way for both Japan and the U.S. to handle bullying is to intervene before the problem occurs.

Commentary / Japan Jan 29, 2017

Vocational universities may be the way forward

Universities in Japan and the U.S. face unprecedented challenges that will make them unrecognizable in the years ahead.

Commentary / Japan Jan 24, 2017

Childhood poverty rates need redefinition

A better education for children from poor families is key to breaking the chain of poverty.

Commentary / Japan Jan 10, 2017

Nearsightedness a cost of academic excellence

Vision problems in children take many forms. But the likely condition in Japan and the United States is nearsightedness as a result of a combination of genes, behavior and environment. Students in Japan with 20/20 vision, which is considered ideal, constituted just 31.4 percent of ...

Commentary / Japan Dec 29, 2016

Lowest birthrates on record bedevil schools

Record low birthrates in Japan and the United States will raise unprecedented problems for education officials in both countries.

Commentary / Japan Dec 25, 2016

PISA confirms excellence of a handful of nations

The obsession with rankings on international student assessment tests may be counterproductive.

Commentary / Japan Nov 28, 2016

Despite legislation, danger of exploiting foreign workers remains

Rather than relying on foreign "trainees" to compensate for labor shortages, Japan should establish apprenticeship programs to give citizens needed skills.