The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released the results of the 2022 Academic Progress Assessment (PISA). 690,000 15-year-olds from 81 countries and regions around the world participated in PISA. From Japan, 6,000 first-year students from approximately 180 high schools across the country are participating. PISA is a test for 15-year-olds that tests the practical ability of knowledge and skills learned in compulsory education in real life. As a result, Japan ranked 5th in applied mathematical ability (6th in the previous year), and reading comprehension improved from 11th in the previous year to 2nd among OECD member countries. In terms of scientific application ability, Japan was ranked 2nd (5th in the same category). Japanese children seem to maintain a high and stable academic ability.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has praised the students for maintaining their scientific application skills and reading comprehension at the top level. However, it seems that Japan’s education cannot rest on its laurels based on these recent results. It has been said that there is a positive correlation between PISA mathematics scores and a country’s economic growth and productivity. Japanese high school students, up through their first year of high school, are among the top in OECD countries in mathematics literacy. The conclusion drawn from this theory is that economic growth and productivity are high. However, in the case of Japan, this relationship does not hold true. Japan’s GDP per capita ranks 21st out of 38 OECD member countries. The relationship between Japan’s PISA math scores and labor productivity growth rate deviates from a positive correlation. Japanese children have world-class math brains until their first year of high school. However, this brain is not fully utilized.
The weakness of Japan’s mathematics education is that while it maintains the highest standards in the world up to compulsory education, it stagnates as it progresses to high school and university. The results of the student survey indicate that mathematics classes in Japan are conducted in a disciplined atmosphere with teacher guidance. In an index that examines whether teachers provide instruction that relates to daily life, Japan falls to 36th place out of 37 countries. The percentage of respondents who say they receive guidance related to their daily lives is extremely low compared to the OECD average. A low percentage of students (22.7%) answered that they were confident in finding mathematical aspects in real-life problems. Japan’s challenge is to increase the number of children who like mathematics. Children may also acquire the attitude of tackling mathematics on their own. Although Japan has one of the highest standards in the world, there are issues with reasoning and problem-solving skills. However, if an environment is created in which this brain power can be utilized, it may be possible to solve these problems and increase economic growth and productivity.
