“To Create an Immigrant-Friendly Japan, Start with Education Reform”: ASP MA student Asia Dobbs’ article in The Diplomat

Discrimination against foreigners, and even against foreign-returned Japanese, has become a problem in Japan. Why is this happening? In The Diplomat on Sept 9, 2019, Asian Studies Program MA student Asia Dobbs offers some answers based in Japan’s education system:

” Although education is not often discussed in connection with immigration, the roots of the problem lie in the secondary school system, which elicits and encourages these types of discriminatory behaviors. The Japanese school system incorporates militaristic and conformist ethics and permits strong government control over education through textbook and curricula censorship. Regarding curricula, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) controls all K-12 educational materials. Schools have to follow guidelines called gakushu youryou, which tell schools what and how to teach — and which also excludes comprehensive humanistic education about topics such as human rights. Through this strong control, the ministry works to shape obedient students who will easily conform to social norms, not only in schools but also in their supposedly homogeneous society.”

For the full article, please visit The Diplomat here.