A Study of the Privatization of Mathematics Education in Japan and Lessons for the U.S.

This study comes at an opportune moment for Japanese and U.S. educators, policymakers, and researchers given the trends of global policy and equity-based reform. Discussions of academic achievement in both societies allows us to examine mathematics education as a public good versus private commodity in order to best serve the needs of students. Research was conducted as a visiting scholar at the University of Tōkyō, and supported by classroom experience in four public and private schools. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to answer the underlying research question, what factors of public and private education affect mathematics achievement as observed in upper-level Japanese elementary schools? The upper-elementary students and schools were selected because of the turning point in educational paradigms that occurs during the schooling of preadolescents, including shifts in the types of instruction received and academic performance expectations. The contextual background then leads to a discussion on implications for the U.S., where a culture of privatized education has emerged of academic tutoring and test preparation. The increasing public and private sector disparities serve as an urgent call to address issues of equity and accessibility in both nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]