About math education in Japan.

These years, it seems many Japanese people care about worrying indication of declining academic abilities. "Is it worrying?" This is my question. Although it is sure that emerging countries went ahead of Japan, I don't care about it. It seems many people believe decline in academic ability, especially math and English, cause decay of nation power. Is it true?



An American economist reported that creative, active and independent-minded students are not good with math. Now Japanese companies need creative workers as well as tame workers. I think people's thought goes against the times if the economist is right. Although my opinion maybe a bit extreme, people's thought is a bit too ordinary and a bit too classical. Emerging countries walk on ready-made way, Japan and other developed countries walk on creative way.



And, specialists discuss about method to improve scholastic ability of student. Some seems to insist that we should increase classes of math. I'm sure it is not fundamental solution. The problem is that teacher can't teach math well.



It is said nowadays students don't like math. Teachers decide prematurely that students who are not good with math are incapable. But I think they are not incapable but they don't like rule of mathematical expression and can't accept the rule psychologically. If teachers make an ingenious plan, some or many students will understand that they can understand math(students believe they are incapable). That is, students are not incapable but teachers are incapable. Not to want to adhere to rules is teenager's nature.



I'm a person with an arts background. I studied why I was not good with math. I learned even Pascal(as I recall) insisted "0-4=0". It is nothing special that students can't understand idea of "minus". I heard this calculation "minus x minus = plus" is very new, this was authorized and schools teach it at school in Europa, in 19th century. It is nothing special that students can't understand idea of "minus".



"minus x minus = plus" was my big question at junior school. Teacher taught that "minus is can be regard as borrowing, suppose you borrow 100 yen and you borrow more 100 yen, how much is your total debit? to explain idea of minus". it is "-200" but I thought "debt(minus) x debt(minus) = asset? It can't be!!". It seems a famous novelist in western country thought so too. Finally teachers said "Memorize the rule!". I coundn't undestand and hated math. Now I can explain why "minus x minus = plus" but I think it is not out of the way even if students don't understand and hate math by teacher's explanation.



After all, I took good score at math but I had to put time into studying math. If teachers were good with teaching, I could got better score at math and other subjects.



I think who need more classes are not students but teachers. Teachers must learn how they should teach it more.



I took the photo at Koukuu-kouen yestarday. Those kids will hate math. :-D



Have a nice day.