Tag - education

 
 

EDUCATION

EDITORIALS
Jan 3, 2014
Dubious cure for doctor shortage
The education ministry's recent decision to approve creation of a new medical school at an existing university in Tohoku marks a new development in the government's oscillating policy on the education of doctors.
JAPAN / GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT ENGLISH
Dec 31, 2013
English to get 2020 push but teachers not on same page
A reform plan released in mid-December by the education ministry looks to bolster English study from elementary to high school from the 2020 academic year to pursue globalization.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 29, 2013
Education in 2013: an 'A' for ambition, but Japan will have to do better
Will 2014 be the year we start to see a genuinely forward-thinking, globalized outlook for education in Japan? The rapidly changing global economy, regional tensions and shrinking population suggest huge challenges await the country's youth on their emergence into the job market in the coming years.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 28, 2013
Is teacher demoralization the next step?
Publicizing the names of teachers in newspapers when their students fail to measure up could be a prescription for demoralization in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 27, 2013
Researcher sees digital maps as key to understanding, alleviating crises
'Maps put into pictures what policymakers traditionally see in numbers,' says Elise Montiel-Welti, a researcher at Doshisha University who produces digital maps to explain global crises. 'They also put us in perspective: We can see how small we are in the face of huge disasters or conflicts.'
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 27, 2013
Japan should take English lessons from Philippines
English is an official language of the Philippines but this does not mean that everyone understands or speaks English. However, it does mean that exposure to the language is so widespread that those who do speak it can communicate quite fluently.
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Dec 18, 2013
Tokyo: If you could be prime minister for a day, what would you do?
Top concerns for would-be PMs around the metropolis: Fukushima, demographics, women in the workplace, the consumption tax, education, energy, English — and beer.
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2013
Misguided focus on test results
Reversing its traditional position, the education ministry has decided to let municipal boards of education publicize the results for individual schools in the achievement tests taken by sixth and ninth graders nationwide. An even worse obsession with test scores could follow.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 15, 2013
The war on katakana starts at school
Eliminating katakana's use as a pronunciation aide would benefit Japanese students' ability to communicate, but that clearly can't be achieved overnight. However, it's still worth putting up a 'faito.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 15, 2013
Infant tablet devices hit by parents, experts
A newborn baby cannot hold or even swipe at an iPad, but Fisher-Price is providing a way to keep infants glued to the device.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2013
English education set to get serious
Junior high school English teachers should conduct classes exclusively in English and be periodically tested on their skills, and formal English instruction should start in the fifth grade from 2020 under education reforms.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / MIXED MATCHES
Dec 13, 2013
For Canadian traveler, last-minute meeting led to change of heart and new start in Japan
Michelle Takahashi works as an English teacher at a school for families who hope to raise their children in bilingual and multi-cultural environments. Together with Toru, a systems engineer at an IT-related U.S. company, and their two sons, she now lives in Kodaira, western Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 29, 2013
Future teachers get prepped for foreign pupils
A lot of teachers have a tough time teaching children of foreign nationalities due to the language barrier and cultural differences.
EDITORIALS
Nov 25, 2013
Problematic education proposal
A proposal for a new system of university entrance exams is very vague and likely to cause confusion for high schools and universities.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2013
Back to the future: Shinto's growing influence in politics
Immaculate and ramrod straight in a crisp, black suit, Japan's education minister, Hakubun Shimomura, speaks like a schoolteacher — slowly and deliberately.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2013
Resisting the historical deniers
Shin Kawashima recalls his heart sinking with the reelection of Shinzo Abe. A specialist in Asian diplomatic history at the University of Tokyo, Kawashima has spent years trying to narrow the gap between Japan and China's strikingly different interpretations of wartime history. The election could undo...
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Nov 19, 2013
U.S. education official apologizes for 'white suburban moms' remark
Education Secretary Arne Duncan tried Monday to quell the outrage sparked by his comments that injected race and class into the debate about the Common Core academic standards taking root in classrooms across the country.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Nov 17, 2013
Identity issues can complicate a child's path to becoming bilingual
The pursuit of bilingualism can be something akin to the quest for the Holy Grail for parents living in Japan. It's also near-universal, affecting expatriates here for an extended period, multilingual families where the parents come from different cultural backgrounds, or Japanese nationals eager to...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 15, 2013
A war of words over butchered English
The student wanted to make a brochure in English, aimed at attracting foreign tourists to Shiraishi. The English title of her presentation was “Come on my Island!”
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Nov 6, 2013
English teacher suffering with cancer and HIV completes 'Yamathon' Tokyo walk
Neil Grainger and a group of supporters completed an epic walk around Tokyo's famous Yamanote Line on Sunday to raise money for his treatment and cancer charities.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji