Why is Japan's spending on education so low in OECD countries??

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110915a5.html

3.3% Japan
5% OECD Avg.
7.3% Norway, the leader

My concern is that Japan is not investing sufficiently to develop the learning and teaching skills of its students and teachers. Teachers in Japan are working hard to serve a curriculum designed by "experts" hired by or working in the Ministry of Ed. and to serve parents who have expectations for teachers to help their students pass competitive examinations to get into good schools.

But is the system really investing in developing quality learning and personal development of students, teachers, and adults in society? My feeling is that the top-down control exerted on education by the central government makes innovation, experimentation, customization, community dialogue, and personal teaching skill development of teachers quite limited, and as a result teachers are just doing their best to serve the system rather than really seek to develop their students.

Of course, some teachers will always manage to find ways to deliver excellent learning and opportunities for personal development (as people who can love to learn and work together with others) despite the system, but I have a feeling a major overhaul of the system is in need...and I'm hoping to get more chances to observe what goes on the school systems as my children go to Japanese public schools.


Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011

Education spending lowest in OECD
Kyodo

Japan's spending on education as a percentage of gross domestic product in 2008 remained the lowest among 31 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD says.

The ratio of educational expenditure to GDP in 2008 stood at 3.3 percent, the lowest among the 31 of the OECD's 34 members with comparable data, the group said in a report released Tuesday.

Japan's ratio was also the lowest in 2005 and 2007, and the second lowest in 2004 and 2006 in the annual OECD studies.

The average ratio of educational expenditure by central and local governments to GDP was 5.0 percent, with Norway ranking highest at 7.3 percent, followed by Iceland at 7.2 percent and Denmark at 6.5 percent.

Meanwhile, private spending on education as a proportion of total educational expenditure stood at 33.6 percent in Japan, the third highest among 28 countries with comparable data, following Chile at 41.4 percent and South Korea at 40.4 percent.

By educational level, the proportion of private spending on college education in Japan stood at 66.7 percent of total education spending.