Japanese first-year high school students who took part in a 2006 international survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development scored lower in every field than the Japanese students who took the tests in 2003. The survey focuses on children's ability to solve problems in adult life by using their knowledge and skills as well as their interest in science.
The education ministry, educators and parents should feel a sense of crisis over what the test results suggest for Japan's future and take necessary measures.
The OECD Program for International Student Assessment covered about 400,000 15-year-olds in 57 countries and regions, testing their abilities in three fields — reading comprehension, mathematical skills and scientific literacy. About 6,000 Japanese students took part.