Japanese Pupils Better Than British Pupils

[Mulboyne]

News: Why do Japanese pupils outperform British ones?
As thousands of UK schoolchildren sit exams this month, researchers at the University of Leicester will ask: Why do Japanese pupils do better? One theory is that the time spent in preparation for exams limits opportunity for educational development amongst young children. A 4 year research project at the University of Leicester School of Education has also demonstrated that children in the UK have difficulty applying their learning to practical real-life situations...Lecturer in Education Dr Rosie Sage said: "The Japanese recognized a few years ago that a curriculum heavily based on facts and knowledge was short-sighted and ineffective. Our research links with Japan have demonstrated that their educational policy to emphasize communication and relationships has paid off academically and personally. We were bowled over by the communicative competence (spoken and written) of pupils in schools where personal abilities are valued and formal communication is specifically taught."

More on British kids:

Telegraph: Teenage sex crisis 'due to drink and drugs'
Teenagers are in the grip of a sexual health crisis fuelled by a "celebrity culture" that condones alcohol abuse, drug addiction and promiscuity, Government-funded advisers warn today...The findings follow a Unicef investigation that put Britain last in a table of 21 countries for children's well-being and found that more British children had sex by the age of 15 than in any other country. They were also the third highest users of cannabis and more had been drunk by 11, 13 and 15 than anywhere else...more...