By Kanae Takagi
Nippon Television broadcast the TV drama "Jo-O no Kyoshitsu (Queen's Classroom)" starring Yuuki Amami from July to September, 2005. This drama was so popular that its final episode's ratings had the second highest of TV dramas of the first half of the year, and there is a plan to make a sequel to it and even a movie. However, many TV viewers wrote comments like, "The content is too terrible," and "Stop the transmission," on the NTV home page. TV dramas like "Dragon-Zakura (Dragon-Cherryblossom)" and "Jo-O no Kyoshitsu," which focus on school problems, have gained popularity. At the same time, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology published the survey results of school violence in 2004 on September 22, 2005. This research was carried out in public elementary schools and junior and senior high schools throughout the country. There were 1,898 violent incidents in schools in 2004, which is an increase of 18 percent from that of the year before. There were 336 violent incidents in elementary schools, which is a 33 percent increase compared with last year. Perhaps the popularity of "Jo-O no Kyoshitsu" reflects the recent increase in problems at elementary schools in Japan.
The TV drama "Jo-O no Kyoshitsu" is the story of 6th grade pupils who challenge their seemingly pitiless homeroom teacher Miss Maya Akutsu for a year until they graduate from school. However, the theme of this drama is Miss Akutsu's original educational approach to guide her pupils who must struggle through the Japanese academic oriented society, which doesn't allow for wishful thinking. Furthermore, it shows broader problems of pupils, teachers, parents and the school board. Here are some examples of Miss Akutsu's guidance: pupils who get high scores on tests are given certain privileges, the last two pupils must do their class chores, and pupils are supposed and keep an eye on their classmates and to inform Miss Akutsu secretly when they see a classmate acting badly or causing mischief.
Her pupils, their parents and the school board cannot understand her guidance at all. However, Miss Akutsu confronts her pupils, who don't know about the world so well, by giving them difficult problems on purpose to be solved by their own ability. This is her educational principle. At first, her guidance seemed very strict and absurd, but gradually we can grasp her behavior as an education-minded teacher who is always thinking about her pupils. Miss Akutsu gives TV viewers a deep sympathy and interest in her pupils with this kind of special education. This must be an important factor of the popularity of this drama.
Why do so many problems occur at schools? These days pupils have many problems with pressure from their parents about examinations, family issues, and bulling at school, to name a few. They are apt to repress their emotions and become mentally unstable. On the other hand, today's teachers also get strong pressure from their pupils, parents and the school board. Therefore, education, which should be more flexible, is constrained and is suffering from the elimination of important extra activities, such as social and moral education. The result is that teachers educate their students indulgently and try to impress parents. Also, the school board tries to move teachers around at the will of Ministry of Education and Culture. Therefore, only homeroom teachers must deal with a variety of problems that pile up and many of them are left unsolved. The result is that teachers become mentally stressed, and once at the end of their tether, they may take leave. Pupils take advantage of teachers' weaknesses and vent their frustrations. These may also be factors in school violence.
Let's put it in perspective; what is the connection between the drama "Jo-O no Kyoshitsu" and today's education system in Japan? In the former, Miss Akutsu has a strict education policy of individualism, but her direction is a good guide for her pupils and it receives a good evaluation from them. However, the school board, whose policy is to educate by the group-oriented mentality, doesn't evaluate Miss Akutsu favorably, so she finally has to leave school. Is it the right decision to reeducate a teacher who receives a good evaluation from students or to make them quit school just because the teacher doesn't follow the policy of the school board? This TV drama raises surprisingly deep questions about what education is.
In today's school education system, the most important thing is for the school board and, accordingly, for teachers to follow the policy of the Ministry of Education and Culture without focusing on their students' needs. We need to contemplate what a good education for students is, and how the school board and parents should achieve it.
By the way, the October 19, 2005 issue of the Hokkaido Shimbun carried an article about "structural reform of compulsory education." The contents were about the introduction of a national achievement test and renewing teaching credentials. The Central Education Council is continuing discussion about them now. Can the Japanese compulsory education system be improved by this "structural reform?" At present, the Japanese education system seems be facing a turning point. We need to keep an eye on our children. They will be the foundation of the future of Japan.