Regarding the Jan. 25 article "Cram school in public junior high gets metro nod": Just like the defunct Nova language-instruction chain, juku organizations are private businesses that specialize in academic instruction primarily for money. If people think that paying more is better and decide to spend their hard-earned money at Yoru Supe, hoping that their child will get an edge, that's their business. But the questions that need to be asked are: Do kids really need Yoru Supe? Are kids passing the high school examination because Yoru Supe is actually making them better? How can one tell?
By selecting only top achievers, who could probably pass the high school examination without attending juku, Yoru Supe is already reducing its chances of failure and boosting its chances for high success rates. It can then use these statistics to inflate its reputation and demand even higher fees from parents.
Why do kids need juku in the first place? If public schools were following the mandated curriculum and preparing children for the dreaded high school examination properly, there would not be any need for juku.
The poor quality of the public education system in this country is what needs to be fixed. Juku organizations don't want that, though. They are only too happy to cash in on parents' and kids' fear of failure. Hopefully, the day will come when the quality of public education enables kids to pass the high school examination without feeling compelled to attend long and costly juku classes.