'Juku' and the Performance of Japanese Students: An American Perspective.

This report outlines the role of after school programs (Juku) in preparing Japanese students for high school and university entrance examinations and presents some growing concerns about the movement. Juku plays a major role in insuring the success of Japanese students on tests administered within the country and on international comparisons made on the basis of achievement test scores. After 12 years of schooling, based on the American model, Japanese children have averaged 4 years more schooling than their counterparts in the United States, accounting in part for differences in test scores noted between U.S. and Japanese students. However, the growing pressure to succeed on examinations is taking a toll, and educators are questioning its impact on students' mental health; tests are beginning to determine curriculum, particularly in private schools; and a disparity is growing between educational opportunities for wealthy and poor students, based on parents' ability to pay. Despite these concerns, there is still widespread support among the population for Juku programs. Parents resist the notion of reducing the school week from 6 to 5 days and seem committed to spending the money and time necessary to have their children enroll in extra classes to secure a competitive advantage on the tests that determine which high schools, colleges, and/or universities the students may attend. (Contains 19 references.) (LL)