Japan falls to 4th place in the world, Korea falls behind for the first time in 25 years… What do the two countries have in common? [한중일 톺아보기]

2024-02-24 08:32:11

Understanding Korea, China, and Japan-122

Enlarge photo On the 22nd, Japan’s Nikkei index recorded 39098.68 yen, setting a new all-time high in 34 years and 2 months since 1989. [EPA 연합뉴스]

The recent growth of the Japanese economy is unusual. Companies that survived the so-called ‘lost 20 years’ are renewing their performance, and economic indicators are signaling an escape from deflation that has lasted for over 30 years.

The stock market is also booming due to the large influx of foreign funds. The Nikkei index, which has been rising every day, broke its all-time high set in December 1989 for the first time in 34 years on the 22nd, and the economic growth rate, which had been converging at 0%, approached 2% last year.

KOSPI is not doing well at all, and last year’s economic growth rate is in contrast to Korea, which was overtaken by Japan for the first time in 25 years.

Of course, we cannot expect Japan to perform as well as it did in its past glory days. In Japan, a mature economy, people are currently in their 60s, and there are clear signs of growth limitations.

On the 15th, Japan’s Cabinet Office officially announced that last year’s GDP fell to fourth place, behind Germany. Due to the rise of emerging countries, international organizations such as the IMF predict that Japan’s GDP will be overtaken by India by 2026 and fall to fifth place.

Workers’ real wages have also been falling for 20 consecutive months. This is why some say it is a boom, but it is difficult for ordinary citizens to feel it. The IMF expects Japan’s GDP growth rate to fall back to around 1% this year, falling below Korea’s.

Structural problems such as low birth rate and population decline due to aging are often cited as the biggest factors, but other factors are also mentioned. One of them is education-related issues.

Japan’s ‘Yutori education’ lowers talent competitiveness… leaves a negative impact on mathematics education

Enlarge photo An image created by ChatGPT to satirize Japan’s Yutori education.

Japan ranked first from 1989 to 1992 in the ‘World National Competitiveness Rankings’ evaluated by the Swiss International Institute for Management Development (IMD). However, since then, the ranking has gradually fallen, especially in the ‘talent ranking’, which fell to 43rd place last year, the lowest ever.

The Japanese economic magazine Toyo Keizai pointed out that the reason for the sluggish economy of Japan over the past several decades was the influence of the education system, especially the lack of proper mathematics education. The result is that the decline in math competitiveness has had a negative impact on scientific and technological competitiveness.

Japan’s ‘Yutori education (ゆとり敎育)’, whose name is quite well known in Korea, means ‘relaxed education’, and was an educational method that broke away from the so-called cramming method and aimed at educating the whole person. The biggest characteristic is that class hours and instructional content have been drastically reduced due to the heavy academic burden, which was first raised by the Japanese Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU).

It actually started in the 2000s and was implemented until the early 2010s, and students from the 1980s to 2000s who spent their school days during that period are also called the ‘Yutori generation.’

However, contrary to its plausible intentions, Yutori education ended in failure as it produced problems such as low academic ability and educational gaps. So, when we talk regarding the Yutori generation, it also has the meaning of ‘generation with low educational attainment’. And the subject that has been most influenced by Yutori education is mathematics.

In fact, with the revision of study guidance guidelines in 1998, class time related to mathematics education in the Japanese curriculum was reduced by more than 30%. Specifically, the number of math classes students in their first to third years of middle school usually receive is only 3 hours per week, which is the lowest level in the world. At least this was left as much as possible, and it is said that in the late 1990s, there were cases where some local high schools did not have a single mathematics teacher, making it difficult to teach properly.

During the same period in the United States, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) announced ‘Mathematics Education and Evaluation Standards’ and the Ministry of Education took steps to strengthen mathematics education by emphasizing the principle of ‘Mathematics Equals Opportunity’. .

Japan’s Nobel Prize winner in physics “Helps students choose easy problems when applying to college… It weakens their ability to think.”

Enlarge photo Toshihide Masukawa, professor emeritus at Kyoto University, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics. He, who led the anti-war peace movement along with his bitter comments regarding education, passed away in 2021. [연합뉴스]

In the 2010s, the Japanese government completely abolished Yutori education in its study guidance guidelines and shifted to education to strengthen academic ability. Although this has had the effect of resolving the decline in academic achievement, it appears that the problems related to mathematics education have not been fundamentally resolved.

Toshihide Masukawa, professor emeritus at Kyoto University and winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics, has repeatedly criticized Japanese education.

For example, he pointed out that “students are taught to avoid difficult problems and choose only easy problems when entering college,” and that “this weakens the power of thinking and pollutes education.” He also criticized parents, saying, “No matter how hard you go, as long as the results are good,” they said, “They are not passionate regarding education, but only regarding the educational results.”

In particular, perhaps because he placed emphasis on the process of reaching an answer in mathematics, he is said to have advised at a press conference when winning the Nobel Prize, “It would be better to change the current OMR-type mathematics test method (to a descriptive one).”

Regarding the situation in which Japan continues to produce Nobel Prize winners, he explained, “Just because a recent winner has come out does not mean that Japanese science is in vain. This is because research achievements are evaluated only following decades have passed.”

Japan belatedly strengthens math education…considering ways to increase ‘low level of interest’

enlarge photo [그래픽=연합뉴스]

Currently, the Japanese government has set a goal of increasing the proportion of science and engineering college students from 35% to 50%, although it may be late, and is taking measures such as establishing science colleges and expanding science and engineering scholarships.

In particular, in mathematics education, awareness of the importance of descriptive questions that reveal the process of deriving the answer is said to be spreading not only in related ministries but also in the educational field. Therefore, the current will to strengthen mathematics education in Japan appears to be much stronger than during the ‘Yutori education’ era.

Japanese students’ math scores, which once fell, have recently returned to the top ranks. As a result of the 2019 TIMSS (International Comparative Study on Trends in Mathematics and Science Achievement), Japanese students’ math scores ranked 4th among the surveyed countries for elementary school students and 5th for middle school students.

However, Japanese students’ interest in mathematics is far below the average of the countries surveyed. Accordingly, mathematicians and other experts believe that substantial mathematics education will be possible by strengthening mathematics education and finding ways to encourage students’ interest in mathematics.

Korea fails to establish a new ‘Advanced Mathematics’ curriculum for the 2028 school year’s college entrance exam… Expert says, “Concerns regarding repeating Yutori education”

enlarge photo [매경DB]

In the 2019 TIMSS, Korean elementary and middle school students’ math skills were found to remain at the top, ranking 3rd overall, higher than Japan’s. However, students’ interest in mathematics was at the lowest level overall, like in Japan.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Education announced at the end of last year that in order to reduce competition in the entrance exam and reflect the purpose of integrating the liberal arts and sciences, ‘Advanced Mathematics (Calculus II and Geometry)’, an elective subject in the mathematical area, will not be newly established from the 2028 CSAT. The scope of the college entrance math test is actually being reduced to the existing ‘liberal arts and mathematics’ scope.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Joo-ho explained, “We decided to exclude advanced mathematics in order to solve problems such as causing private education, excessive learning burden, and decreased interest of students due to learning gaps.”

However, many experts are concerned regarding this decision. This might lead to a decline in students’ basic math skills and a decline in long-term national competitiveness.

Park Jong-il, president of the Korean Mathematical Society, said, “Education means learning what is essential at each grade level, regardless of whether the subject is difficult or easy. It is necessary to make an effort to teach in an easy way, but we should not leave it out just because it is difficult.” Cha Sang-gyun, a special professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Data Science, also advised, “Rather than reducing the scope just because it is difficult, we should think regarding teaching in a fun way.”

In fact, following the Integrated College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which allowed students to advance to science and engineering fields by studying just one of calculus and geometry, a decline in academic ability is occurring in domestic science and engineering fields. According to Seoul National University, the results of a special mathematics test conducted last year for freshmen in science and engineering showed that the number of students classified as taking ‘Basic Mathematics’ and ‘First Steps to Calculus’ due to low scores increased by regarding 40% in one year.

The future international order is expected to be led by countries that excel in AI, quantum mechanics, and space science. And the foundation of these fields is ultimately mathematics. Major countries such as the United States, China, and India are putting a lot of effort into developing students’ advanced mathematics capabilities, which is in sharp contrast to Korea.

Enlarge photo ChatGPT’s graphic image depicting the ‘Peak Korea’ theory.

Some are warning that Korea may be following the yutori education system that was discarded in Japan as well. Choi Soo-young, a professor of mathematics at Ajou University, pointed out, “If students do not learn calculus and geometry, it is obvious that their overall math academic ability will decline,” and added, “A Korean version of Yutori education will begin.”

As there have been recent signs that Korea’s growth engine has reached its limit, the ‘peak Korea’ theory that “Korea is over” is spreading among some, including anti-Korean critics. It is a mockery that Korea has reached its peak and there is only a downhill path ahead. I am concerned that their ridicule may turn into reality as the decline in future educational competitiveness takes away any hope left in Korea for a leap forward.

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