{"id":74993,"date":"2019-03-28T11:49:21","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T11:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essays.homeworkacetutors.com\/what-is-the-relationship-between-education-and-society\/"},"modified":"2019-03-28T11:49:21","modified_gmt":"2019-03-28T11:49:21","slug":"what-is-the-relationship-between-education-and-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/what-is-the-relationship-between-education-and-society\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Relationship between Education and Society?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Education
\nimpacts society, and in turn, society impacts education. This essay will be
\nhighlighting how a meritocratic educational system affects how society views
\neducation. The countries that will be focused on are Singapore and Japan.<\/p>\n

According to Biesta (2009), education has three functions<\/a>: qualification, subjectification, and socialisation. The meritocratic educational system in both countries focuses on qualification, but in Singapore there is a bigger emphasis on subjectification than socialisation whereas in Japan, it is the opposite. There are much more similarities to educational system in both countries than there are differences. Three of these similarities will be further elaborated on, which are: standardised testing, school-related suicides, and private supplementary tuition.<\/p>\n

In
\nSingapore, the main objective of education is nation-building, with major
\ncontributions in the economic sector as well as creating a strong Singaporean
\nidentity. As it is a small country with no natural resources, its major asset
\nis human capital. Through education, the society changed from being low-skilled
\nto a high-skilled economy so as to attract companies to set up in Singapore as
\nits education system was able to produce workers at all technical levels (OECD, 2011). This, therefore, highlights the biggest link
\nbetween education and the society in Singapore. If education quality is low,
\nthe people become low-wage, low-skilled workers. However, if education quality
\nis high, the people in turn become high-skilled, higher-income workers.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Japan has a high dependency on its human capital. This is due to the lack of natural resources in the country caused by a \u201cchallenging environment\u201d (OECD, 2011, p.138). In order to survive, they had to rely on each other and thus resulted in a society that places great value in social relations as well as education and skills. Nine years of education became compulsory after the World War II and everyone who graduated high school could get a chance to take the college entrance examinations. In the Japanese culture, individuals belong to a group and it is highly important to them to not let this group down. Therefore, getting a good educational performance<\/a> is vital to the Japanese people as it is deeply rooted in them to do as well as possible and always work towards higher goals in order to be accepted and to gain status in the group.<\/p>\n

Academic qualification is one of the main driving
\nfactors of competition among students in schools. In both Singapore and Japan
\nwhere they are meritocratic systems, this creates the importance of doing well
\nand being one of the best. Having good grades means that any school is
\naccessible and would thus lead to more opportunities in careers ahead.
\nParticularly in Singapore, the more prestigious a school they get into, the
\nhigher the pay in future jobs. Parents hold this in high regard and place high
\nexpectations on their child to do well in school. This creates a culture where
\nparents deem that education in schools are not enough and send their child to
\nextra classes after school to improve their child\u2019s grade. As long as they are
\nnot scoring 100% on their tests, this means that there is room for improvement
\nin their scores. However, this contributes to a high level of stress among
\nstudents.<\/p>\n

The usage of standardised testing is similar in both
\ncountries. Japan has been using the system of having standardised tests at the
\nend every distinct level of education i.e. elementary school, middle school and
\nhigh school. The students\u2019 results in these entrance exams determines which
\nschool they can go into. In urban areas, private schools are more prestigious
\nthan public schools and entry to these schools means that the student is on an
\naccelerated path to the affiliate private schools, which could help them go
\nstraight into the affiliated private university in the future. Entry to these
\nprivate schools requires passing the entrance exam. On the other hand, in rural
\nareas, public schools are more prestigious than private ones and entry to
\npublic schools are based on the student\u2019s grade point average.<\/p>\n

As said before, it is similar in Singapore. At the end
\nof every distinct level of education i.e. primary, secondary and junior
\ncollege, all students of the level take the same paper based on the subjects
\nthey are taking and the results of the exam determines their future school. From
\nsecondary level onwards, students are able to choose a school regardless of the
\ndistance from their home \u2013 if they are able to achieve the minimum entry
\nrequirement, that is. As Singapore is a small country, students who do well in
\nthe exams have a larger repository of schools in the next education level to
\nchoose from \u2013 they can choose any school in the entire country, or even foreign
\nschools who have set up a campus in the country. However, in recent times, the
\nSingapore government has taken measures to try and reduce the competition
\nbetween students by removing the T-score, which compares the student with their
\npeers, in the Primary School Leaving Examination \u2013 the first major exam in
\nSingapore (Davie, 2016).<\/p>\n

While Singapore is the top scorer on all the Programme
\nfor International Assessment (PISA) tests in 2015, the students are also
\nexperiencing high levels of stress due to this expectation of doing well
\nacademically (Davie, 2017). There have been criticisms of the Singaporean
\nacademic system that it is too stressful and too competitive. This is cemented
\nby the fact that there has been a rise in the number of suicides of 10-19 year
\nolds, from 13 in 2014 to 27 in 2015 (Wang, 2016).<\/em> In 2016, there was a
\ncase of suicide by an 11-year-old who fell to his death because he had failed
\nhis mid-year examinations for the first time (Hussain, 2016).<\/em> In that
\ncase, the mother would lightly cane the boy on the palm for every mark he had
\ngotten under her standard of 70%. This boy\u2019s case is not isolated and while there
\nare many personal stories documenting this race towards perfection, there are
\nalmost little to no academic papers that have been written about this in
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n

As for Japan, they ranked second in Science, eighth
\nfor Reading and fifth for Math in the PISA tests in 2015. Although they fared
\nlower in terms of academic achievement on the international test, the levels of
\nstress in the students are quite high. Because of a need to be part of the
\ngroup, students are expected to get high scores. The suicide rates among youths
\nin Japan are much higher than in Singapore. In 2016, 320 under 18s committed
\nsuicide and the rate has been in the range of 300 to 350 every year since 2007.
\n(Lim, 2017). The number of suicides spike when schools reopen after summer and
\nspring breaks \u2013 especially on September 1, after the summer holidays
\n(Matsubayashi et al, 2017). While there has been no root cause pinpointed to
\nthe high number of suicides, the research by Denda et al. (2006) shows that 1
\nin 12 elementary students and 1 in 4 junior high students suffer from clinical
\ndepression.<\/p>\n

Despite the high levels of depression among the
\nstudents, there is still a cramming school \u2013 otherwise known as juku \u2013 culture
\nin Japan. Cramming schools in Japan can be traced back to the 1970s and is now
\na staple in the nation. In the urban areas, at least 90% of the students attend
\nprivate tutoring (Bray, 2006). Students attend the juku for differing reasons:
\nto not get left behind, to keep up with the pace in the class as well as to
\nhelp with the preparation of the high school and university entrance exams
\n(Bossy, 1996). The average cost of sending a child who attends a public junior
\nhigh school to a juku is \u00a5471,000 (~\u00a33155) a year whereas for a child who
\nattends a private junior high school, it is \u00a51,269,000 a year (~\u00a38511) (Brasor and Tsubuku, 2011). Juku is so ingrained in local culture that many
\nlocal governments provide monetary aid as much as \u00a5150,000 (~\u00a31005)
\na year to lower income families so that they can pay for them. This stems from
\nthe idea that these subsidiaries needed to help the student break out of the
\ncycle of poverty. In 2010, the total amount that was paid to jukus was \u00a5371
\nbillion (~\u00a32.64
\nbillion). This shows how important juku is
\nto the society.<\/p>\n

As for Singapore, there has been a growing culture of
\nsending the children to after-school tuition classes. Compared to SG$650
\nmillion (~\u00a3363 million) spent by households in 2004, Singaporeans
\nspent over SG$1 billion (~\u00a3558 million) on tuition in 2014 (Yang,
\n2016).<\/em> Tuition classes are not only for primary and secondary school
\nstudents (who spend three hours in tuition classes per week on average), but
\nalso extend to pre-school children who, on average, spend two hours in tuition
\nclasses a week. A survey of 500 parents was conducted by The Straits Times newspaper
\nand research company Nexus Link and they found that 7 out of 10 parents polled
\nsend their children to tuition class (Davie, 2015a). When asked why, they said
\nit so that their child is not left behind in terms of education, and also to
\nhelp their child get a better grade in their subjects, which is similar to the
\nreasons for the Japanese students. Despite this, however, only one third of the
\nparents acknowledged that the extra tuition was helping their child improve
\ntheir grade (Davie, 2015b). <\/p>\n

If seen from a different perspective i.e. education,
\nthis culture of sending children to cramming schools \u2013 whether in Singapore or
\nin Japan \u2013 makes it seem like the amount of work that the children put in for school
\nis inadequate and thus needs to be added on with extra classes. It gives the
\nimpression that what the teacher does in the class is not enough for the child
\nto prepare for examinations. In Singapore, primary school education is free
\nwhile secondary school education is SG$5 (~\u00a32.79)
\nper month whereas in Japan, both elementary and middle schools are free. (The
\nJapan School System\/School Fees, n.d.; Toh, 2015). Yet, many parents still
\nchoose to take more money out of their pocket for their child to go for extra
\nclasses just to get a better grade.<\/p>\n

Because of the meritocratic educational system in
\nSingapore and Japan, the students in both countries strive to be the best.
\nHowever, as shown above, the root cause for this is different in each country
\ndue to their differing cultures. Students in Singapore aim to be the best so
\nthat they can go to a good school and eventually to a good university so that
\nthey can have a better job as well as a higher pay. On the other hand, Japanese
\nstudents aim to do well in order to gain social status (and thus, higher pay)
\nand not let down the people in their group. In conclusion, society views
\neducation as such an important stepping stone in life that they are willing to
\nfork out extra money for their children to do as well as, or even better, than
\nthe other children surrounding them, whether it be for raising status in
\nsociety or for getting a higher pay in jobs. Parental expectations for their
\nchildren to do well in standardised testing leads to higher enrolment in
\nprivate supplementary classes and thus adds pressure onto the students to do
\nwell in education which can, unfortunately, lead to suicide.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Biesta, G. (2008) Good education in an age of
\nmeasurement: on the need to reconnect with the question of purpose in
\neducation. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability<\/em>, 21(1),
\npp. 33-46.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Bossy, S. (1996)\u00a0Academic pressure and impact on Japanese
\nstudents<\/em>. [Online]. 1996. Digitool.library.mcgill.ca. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/digitool.library.mcgill.ca\/R\/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=35314&local_base=GEN01-MCG02.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Brasor, P. and Tsubuku, M. (2011)\u00a0In Japan, you get the
\neducation you (the consumer) pay for<\/em>. [Online]. 2011. The Japan Times.
\nAvailable at:
\nhttps:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2011\/09\/22\/business\/in-japan-you-get-the-education-you-the-consumer-pay-for\/#.Wg4TPlt-qoQ.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Bray, M. (2006) Private supplementary tutoring: comparative perspectives
\non patterns and implications.\u00a0Compare: A Journal of Comparative and
\nInternational Education<\/em>, 36(4), pp. 515-530.<\/p>\n

Davie, S. (2017)\u00a0Singapore students suffer from high levels of
\nanxiety: Study<\/em>. [Online]. 2017. The Straits Times. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/education\/spore-students-suffer-from-high-levels-of-anxiety-study.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Davie, S. (2016)\u00a0Will new PSLE scoring system reduce stress and
\ncompetition among pupils and parents?<\/em>. [Online]. 2016. The Straits Times.
\nAvailable at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/education\/will-new-psle-scoring-system-reduce-stress-and-competition-among-pupils-and.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Davie, S. (2015)\u00a07 in 10 parents send their children for
\ntuition: ST poll<\/em>. [Online]. 2015. The Straits Times. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/education\/7-in-10-parents-send-their-children-for-tuition-st-poll.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Davie, S. (2015)\u00a0Tuition has become an educational arms race<\/em>.
\n[Online]. 2015. The Straits Times. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/opinion\/tuition-has-become-an-educational-arms-race.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Denda, K., Kako, Y., Kitagawa, N., and Koyama, T. (2006) Assessment of
\nDepressive Symptoms in Japanese School Children and Adolescents Using the
\nBirleson Depression Self-Rating Scale.\u00a0The International Journal of
\nPsychiatry in Medicine<\/em>, 36(2), pp. 231-241.<\/p>\n

Hussain, A. (2016)\u00a0Death of boy, 11, who fell 17 floors after
\nfailing his exams for the first time ruled a suicide<\/em>. [Online]. 2016. The
\nStraits Times. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/courts-crime\/death-of-boy-11-who-fell-17-floors-after-failing-his-exams-for-the-first-time.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Lim, M. (2017)\u00a0Bullying keeps youth suicides high in Japan<\/em>.
\n[Online]. 2017. Stuff. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.stuff.co.nz\/world\/asia\/91911106\/bullying-keeps-youth-suicides-high-in-japan.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Matsubayashi, T., Ueda, M., and Yoshikawa, K. (2016) School and
\nseasonality in youth suicide: evidence from Japan.\u00a0Journal of
\nEpidemiology and Community Health<\/em>, [Online]. 70(11), pp. 1122-1127.
\nAvailable at: http:\/\/jech.bmj.com\/content\/70\/11\/1122.<\/p>\n

OECD (2011) Lessons from PISA for the United States.\u00a0Strong
\nPerformers and Successful Reformers in Education<\/em>, Available at:
\nhttps:\/\/www.oecd.org\/pisa\/46623978.pdf. (Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

The Japan School System\/School Fees<\/em>\u00a0(n.d.) [Online]. Available at: http:\/\/www.pref.osaka.lg.jp\/jidoseitoshien\/shugaku\/g_english\/shu_2_14.html.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Toh, E. (2015)\u00a0School fees for PRs and foreigners to increase
\nfrom 2016<\/em>. [Online]. 2015. TODAYonline. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.todayonline.com\/daily-focus\/education\/moe-raise-school-fees-non-singaporeans-2016.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Wang, T. (2016)\u00a0Teen suicides highest in 15 years but overall
\nrate falls: SOS<\/em>. [Online]. 2016. The Straits Times. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/teen-suicides-highest-in-15-years-but-overall-rate-falls.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n

Yang, C. (2016)\u00a0Tuition race hots up as big players up their
\ngame<\/em>. [Online]. 2016. The Straits Times. Available at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/education\/tuition-race-hots-up-as-big-players-up-their-game.
\n(Accessed: 16 November 2017).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Education impacts society, and in turn, society impacts education. This essay will be highlighting how a meritocratic educational system affects how society views education. The countries that will be focused on are Singapore and Japan. According to Biesta (2009), education has three functions: qualification, subjectification, and socialisation. The meritocratic educational system in both countries focuses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7086],"tags":[9845,5294,9887,9867,9888,9889,9890,9886,9885],"class_list":["post-74993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assignments","tag-1-dissertation-writing-service-in-uk","tag-bishops-writing-bureau","tag-cn","tag-create-a-paper-using-the-following-criteria","tag-homework-help-assignment-answers","tag-in-1050-word-essay","tag-in-a-4-to-6-page-essay","tag-in-a-page-paper-assignment","tag-write-an-essay-in-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74993\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}