In Japan, the more parents earn, the higher their children's academic test scores, a new survey has revealed. Commissioned by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry, the survey results released last month show a clear link between parental income and test results.
This basic inequality goes to the heart of what should be a democratizing educational system. However, the survey also showed that income is not always destiny.
The disparity in academic performance between students of low- or high-income families was clearly established. Those whose parents have an annual income between ¥12 million and ¥15 million scored nearly 20 percent higher on average than children whose parents' annual income is less than ¥2 million. This difference reveals a terrible rift in Japanese society, one that will likely increase if the social income gap continues to widen.