Amy's column is not good. She doesn't understand what happens in Japan. I sometimes read her column and often I look doubtful, especially, her last column. Her knowledge about Japanese current affairs is absurdly inadequate. We can read her column on Japan Times or Yahoo 360 community.
She express her opinions that if Japan want to teach Japanese students traditional values, Japan should teach them English in elementary schools, and that English is important language in field of sports, science, international journals and internet, and that Mr. Ibuki is not fit to Minister of Education and Science because he is not an expert of education.
Her opinions appear to be regarded as a good opinion. However, what country does she talking about? Does she live in past days? Did she travel through time? Does she become conscious of a writer? Why does Japan Times insert such a column?
I agree that learning other languages is knowing other values and Japanese own values, and that many Japanese can't speak English and students need to learn English conversation if Japanese want to speak in English. However, why should we learn it in elementary school?
The main purpose of education of Japanese traditional culture is not understanding other cultures. Japanese, especially LDP, lament that we lost our values because of GHQ's occupation. It remade our education system and it properly acted for some decades. However, time has changed. The education system became detrimental now. Selfish Japanese became majority, they place too much emphasis on individual freedom and rights. Virtue of modesty, deference to elders and so on come under threat. Many Japanese regard that floods of other country's value into our society leave our spirituality in ruins. Philosophers warn seeking too many different values lead to confusion of ethic. Those issues are very serious. Ethics of business organization, citizen, civil officer are tumbling now. LDP think that we can't retrain Japanese adults, too late, and that LDP should rebuilt our ethics in elementary schools. LDP intend to compose chaos of values, thus, English education in elementary education passed on. Amy doesn't understand the purpose of the revising. If we need to reform English education, we can reform junior and high school's educations.
(LDP: Liberal Democratic Party)
That Ibuki answered is cultural education foster personal quality precedes English education. I think we can learn about other culture in junior and high schools adequately. As my opinion, the reform has good and bad. I don't agree with all what LDP intend to do, however, for sure Amy's perception is wrong. She understand nothing about this issue.
As for importance of English, I don't think we need to learn more. Japanese students learn English for, at least, 6 years in junior and high schools. As for me, I learned it as compulsory subjects for 2 years in university as well. To be scientist, we learn English to pass the entrance exam of master's course and doctoral course. However, she insist importance of farther education. She insists English is important in the field of sports, science, international journals and internet.
Many Japanese scientists play active roles in the world. They compose papers in English. We can find many Japanese scientist's papers on "Nature", a famous science magazine.We can read newspapers dealing with international issues in Japanese. As to Internet, it is same as newspapers. As to sports, I don't think Yankees appraises baseball player's English skill. "Oh! Kosei, your English is very good, I'll pay you 1,000 million dollars! So, please become a player of Yankees!" is impossible. I think world society doesn't respect mere talky Japanese. It should respect people with a lot to them.
As for Mr. Ibuki, He is a son of commission merchant of traditional fabric industry, is from Kyoto. He contributes to encourage traditional culture. He has network of contacts to do it. I don't think he is not fit to the reform. I suppose he is better person than many other communist educationists. That is, Japanese educational world is occupied by many communists. I never think that communist can reform our traditions. Communists are one of principal cause of the educational breakdown. It was also a kind of small Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.
Now, I have no quarrel with English education. Those who want to learn and need to learn English should study. It is good that every Japense learn English in junior high and high schools, and it is enough except conversations. Even though there are scientists can't write papers in English well, they can study English at any time, it is not matter of elementary education. To teach English to those who don't need its skill is wast of time and money.
I saw a reader's opinion, the reader said learning in early life is good for developing an ability to speak English. Yes I agree, and the reader's kids can take a private English course.
Now, many lament the decline of the Japanese language. Now Japanese are not fluent in Japanese. It is a decay as well as change. Many Japanese can't speak Japanese logically, can't use honorifics properly. Many students answer crime is matter of individual freedom.We must address the moral devastation. I regard giving priority to Japanese cultural education as quite natural. LDP is not such stupid. We already practice what Amy insist in junior high, high schools and universities. LDP's policy is reform of it.
She said "I wish you happy beautiful life Ibuki-san!" at the last. She does anything shameful. I think she shouldn't forget many Japanese read her column.
I took the photo at middle class Samurai's town in Hagi, Yamaguchi prefecture. The house is ,as I recall, Aoki Susuke's house who is a medical doctor. He is the first person held an autopsy by way of Western medicine.
