Dear Mr.

Secretary-General,

25 March, 2014

As a college student in Arizona, USA I have been researching the United Nations, specifically the goals and achievements pertaining to education, and focused even more on the education status of Japan. I have the utmost respect for the impressive statistics that the Japanese school systems have achieved. Surely, Japan is a top leader when compared to education systems all over the world. While impressive and outstanding, I do find some problems arising in Japans economy and its citizens social lives and I believe the root to be education. When looking at the priorities set by the United Nations regarding education Japan is in many way overachieving. First priority is to put every child in school. In Japans school system student enter first grade the April after their sixth birthday, primary school (grades one through six), is followed by middle school (grades seven through nine), the two of which are compulsory (Explore Japan). School attendance rate for the nine years of compulsory education is 99.98% (Education in Japan). As for secondary education, high school (grades nine through twelve) and University attendance in Japan is very high. Of the 99.98 percent of students who attend primary and middle schools, 98 percent of those attend high school and 95 percent graduate. Japan, with almost three million men and women enrolled in over 700 universities and four-year colleges, has the second largest higher educational system in the developed world. In Japan, public universities usually enjoy more prestige than their private counterparts and only about 27 percent of all university-bound students manage to gain admission to public universities (Ellington). So what is the issue? These statistics are incredible and are definitely higher than many other countries. If we are looking at trying to reach the goals of putting every child in school and

improve the quality of learning, then surely we can consider Japan a master to learn from. However, what will not be mentioned in any educational statistics is the emotional toll that Japanese students must go through, the stress that comes from high competition when trying to get into a University, and the weight put on their shoulders because education, after all, is the gateway to success. Annual suicide rates in Japan are considerably higher than in most other
industrial countries, normally hovering around 24 suicides per 100,000 people, which is roughly double the rate in the U.S. and three times that in the UK. Some scholars looking for structural and social causes behind Japans suicide problem have argued that there is a close correlation between unemployment and suicide rates. (Traphagen, 2013). Unemployment, in Japans case, results from high education and training standards and with a competitive college system, most Japanese youth arent making the cut. Not only is suicide high, but Japanese annual birth rates have been decreasing for

almost two decades, and Japan's current population of almost 128 million is expected to decline (Ellington). More women are also seeking college degrees and therefore putting education before marriage and family life. Because of these changes and shift in priorities among Japanese young adults, Japan is headed straight into the eye of a future storm. I believe that education is and should be a top priority in global unitization, and I commend Japan for its extraordinary education system and success. Although there are issues facing Japans future, generally speaking they are to be looked up to and admired. I thank you for your time of entertaining my thoughts on progress of education in Japan and grant you my appreciation for the efforts you put into leading our world to a more peaceful existence.

Sincerely, Tori Sato

Works Cited

Education in Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.education-in-japan.info/sub1.html

Ellington, L. (2005, SEPT). Japanese education. Retrieved from http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/japanese_education/

Explore Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/schools/

Traphagen, J. (2013, JAN 16). Japan's suicide problem: Searching for answers. Retrieved from http://thediplomat.com/2013/01/searching-for-answers-japans-suicide-epidemic/