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Through the materials presented in this lesson, students will explore the reasons for receiving an education, probe the connection between education and power, examine the educational systems of Japan and India as specific examples, and analyze statistical data from these countries to draw conclusions about the impact of education on a country's economy and society. They will read articles, examine statistics, and view images on the Internet of schools to understand these educational systems and countries, and they will understand and express their own points of view on the topic of education and power in discussions and a persuasive article.
Grade Level: 9-12
Time Allotment: Five 45-minute class sessions
Learning Objectives:
Students Will
- Develop their own point of view regarding education and power and express it in discussion and in persuasive writing.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the educational systems of Japan and India.
- Analyze statistical information and draw conclusions from those analyses.
Standards
From the National Standards for Social Studies
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/
1) Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.
3) Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments.
6) Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance.
10) Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence.
From the National Council of Teachers of English Standards
http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm
8) Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Media Components:
Web Sites
Japan -- A Country Study
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html
This site, from the Library of Congress, includes extensive information about Japan's history and society.
Education in Japan
http://www.amphi.com/~psteffen/fmf/education.htm
This site, created and maintained by a teacher who participated in the Fulbright Program's teacher exchange in Japan, has many images of Japanese students and schools. It also includes information about the country of Japan.
India -- A Country Study
http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/intoc.html
This site, from the Library of Congress, includes extensive information about India's history and society.
Delhi Public School Vasant Kunj -- Virtual Tour
http://www.dpsvk.com/
This is the homepage for a school in Delhi. There is a virtual tour with images of the students and the school facility, as well as information about the school.
The World Factbook - Japan
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html
This site consists of a wide array of statistical data about the country of Japan.
The World Factbook -- India
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html
This site consists of a wide array of statistical data about the country of India.
Materials
Student Response Sheet
Teach Your Children Well: Examining the Connection Between Education and Power
Prep for Teachers
Prior to the teaching, bookmark all of the Web sites used in the lesson.
When using media, provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, a specific task to complete, and/or information to identify during or after the viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.
Introductory Activity: Education for All
Step 1: Why do we go to school?
Explain to your students that you will be examining different educational systems. Explain that, in the United Nations' Universal declaration of Human Rights, Article 26, it states that "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit." In 1990, and more recently in 2000, world leaders met to declare that they would take action to improve the state of education in their countries, working to take steps so that all primary age children receive an education and are able to read. This declaration is called "Education for All."
It is necessary to understand why it is important that we receive an education ourselves. Begin by asking your students, as a whole class, to brainstorm a list of reasons that we go to school. Record all of the answers on the chalkboard or on a large sheet of paper. Students are likely to respond: to learn to read, make friends, get into a good college, get a good job. After students have listed as many things as they can think of, review the list with them. Discuss their views of school and try to have them elaborate on their thoughts. Why do we need to learn to read? Why do we need to go to college? What does it mean to get a good job? What is a "good" job? What is a "bad" job? How is your life different with a good job as opposed to a bad job? Why do some people have good jobs and other people have bad jobs?
On the chalkboard write the quote "Knowledge is power." Discuss this with your students. Is this true? Why or why not? What is power? Small children may tease one another with the taunt, "I know something you don't know," using it as a way of having power over another person. Is this same idea true as you get older? Does going to college give you power? Does going to high school give you power? Do you gain knowledge by going to school? Do you acquire skills? Is there a difference between gaining knowledge and acquiring skills? Is one more powerful than the other? Does having a good job give you power? Is education a way of gaining power?
Learning Activities: Education in Japan and India
Step 1: Education in Japan
Explain to your students that you will be taking a closer look at the system of education in Japan. Much of the world considers the Japanese educational system to be first rate; the country has an extremely high literacy rate and a large percentage of the population pursues higher education. Explain to students that they are going to read a report on the Library of Congress Web site that gives the history of Japanese education and explains in detail the different levels of education in the country, http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, instructing them to read the sections about Japanese education and record the answers to the questions on their Student Response Sheets. Students will describe the basic philosophy and beliefs of the system, as well as the various levels of education. They will examine how the Japanese government controls the schools and how teachers are viewed in Japan.
Japanese schooling emphasizes the cultural values of order, diligence, self-criticism, hard work, and perseverance. It also stresses putting the goals of the group above personal interests. The system has been criticized for being too rigid and uniform, limiting individual choices, focusing too much on university examinations, and putting too much emphasis on formal educational credentials. As part of school reform, the government tried to make schools more flexible, creative, and diverse, focusing on individual needs and internationalization. The Japanese system is based on three documents -- the Fundamental Law of Education, the School Education Law, and the new Constitution. The control of the schools is largely centralized, through the national Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, although there are also prefectural and municipal levels of administration. Teaching is an honored profession in Japanese society, where teachers are well paid. "Home Training" is the social education that parents provide for their preschool children, focusing on manners, proper social behavior, and structured play, as well as basic teaching of numbers and letters; there are numerous books and television shows available to parents so that they can "parent" more effectively. The school year is a minimum of 210 days, and the school week consists of five full-time days and one half day. The basic Japanese beliefs about compulsory education are that all children have the ability to learn material; perseverance and self-discipline (not academic ability) determine academic success, and that study and behavioral habits can be taught. 99 percent of elementary students are enrolled in school, and schooling is compulsory through lower-secondary school. 94 percent of all lower-secondary school graduates continue on to upper-secondary school. "Social Education" is nondegree-oriented education that focuses on lifelong learning, with classes in subjects such as music, cooking, English, and poetry.
Once students have read the information, have students view images of children at a Japanese school, http://www.amphi.com/~psteffen/fmf/education.htm. Provide them with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, instructing them to look at the images and record their observations and reactions to the Japanese school on their Student Response Sheet.
Check for comprehension. Review the information with students, answering any questions and clarifying information for them. What are their reactions to Japan's educational system?
Step 2: Education in India
Explain to your students that next you will be looking at the system of education in India. India has a population of over one billion people, and the government struggles with how to provide compulsory primary education for all children. Over 20 percent of the world's out-of-school children live in India, and there is a great disparity between the literacy rate and level of education for men as opposed to women in the country. Explain to students that they are going to read a report on the Library of Congress Web site that gives the history of Indian education and explains in detail the different levels of education in the country, http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/intoc.html. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA ITNERACTION, instructing them to read the sections about Indian education and record the answers to the questions on their Student Response Sheets. They will examine the government and how it controls the educational system, as well as the reform measures it implemented. They will read about the problems they prevent universal primary education in India, the numbers of students enrolled in classes, as well as the different kinds and levels of education available. They will also examine the role that social rank and hierarchy play in education.
In India, the Department of Education, which is part of the national Ministry of Human Resource and Development, oversees all of the national government's education responsibilities. There is also control on a state level, but most power was limited to the Central government's control through a 1976 amendment to the Constitution. There have been a number of movements to reform the system; one example is the 1986 implementation of the National Policy on Education, which focused on providing access to primary education for all children, regardless of cast, creed, location, or gender, with all children up to age 14 having access to education by 1995. India did not meet this goal, but it was seen that the government did have a commitment to education reform. One of the main challenges facing education in India is child labor; despite the fact that primary and middle school education is compulsory, only slightly more that 50 percent of children between the ages of six and fourteen actually attend school. Nearly 60 percent of children dropped out of school between grades one and five. Out of 100 children enrolled in grade one, only twenty three of them reached grade eight. Thus, the literacy rate, as of 1991, was only 52.2 percent. The quality of school buildings also varies, and many are not made out of masonry construction, do not have drinking water facilities, do not have libraries, and are without toilet facilities. The caste system has greatly affected education in India, as schools were originally set up to teach only young Brahman men (the highest caste). Throughout history, it became a way for upper and middle castes to distance themselves from the lower castes. In schools, there are a number of languages taught: English, regional languages, and Hindi. Classical and foreign languages (other than English) are only taught in the secondary schools.
Once they have read the information, have students view images of children at an Indian public school in New Delhi, http://www.dpsvk.com/. Provide them with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, instructing them to look at the images and record their observations and reactions to the Indian school on their Student Response Sheet.
Check for comprehension. Review the information with students, answering any questions and clarifying information for them. What are their reactions to India's educational system?
Step 3: Comparing education in Japan and India
Now that the students have learned about the two systems of education, have them compare and contrast the two systems using the Graphic Organizers on their Student Response Sheets. What are the similarities? What are the differences? What do they think the strengths are in each system? What are the weaknesses?
Step 4: Education and its impact on other aspects of the country
Explain to the students that now that they have an understanding of the educational systems in Japan and India and how they compare, they will look at information and statistics about each country and try to draw conclusions about how those educational systems affect other aspects of the country. Have students look at the CIA Factbook pages for Japan, http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html, and for India, http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html. Provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, instructing them to read through the data for each country and record the necessary information on their Student Response Sheets. After they have recorded the data, they should then answer the corresponding questions on the Student Response Sheet.
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Check for comprehension. Discuss this data with the students, helping them to analyze the information and what it means. What are the differences between Japan and India? What are the similarities? Is there a correlation between, for example, varying life expectancies and the quality and level of education people receive? Why or why not? Are there other statistics that are affected by the education level of people in the country?
Culminating Activity: Is there a Connection between Education and Power?
Step 1: Give the students the opportunity to discuss what they have learned. Looking back on all of the information gathered and discussed, ask if there is a correlation between education and power. What specifically leads them to their conclusion? How does a country become an economic, social, or educational powerhouse? Does a good educational system lead to a country's powerful status, or does having power (economic or otherwise) enable the country to have a good educational system?
Step 2: Place students, in groups, in the role of education reformers in India, working to meet the mandate of Education for All. Using what they know about the Japanese and Indian systems as references, as well as their own educational experiences, have students create an outline of the important components of a quality educational system and the changes that need to be made in the system to provide all children with skills such as literacy. Next, instruct them to write a persuasive article to convince politicians and citizens of the need for these reforms. They can use information and statistics that they recorded on their Student Response Sheets to support their argument. Have students share their work with the class, and discuss the similarities and differences in their outlines and persuasive articles.
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Social Studies/ Economics
In recent years, Japan has been experiencing an economic slow-down. This, in turn, has affected other parts of Japanese society. Have students listen to Eric Weiner's "Postcard From Japan" report on NPR, http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1313667, to get a sense of the recent changes in the country. Have students research these changes by looking at Japanese English-language newspapers and magazines.
World Cultures/ Religion
The Caste System was integral in shaping the beginnings of the Indian education system. Have students research the caste system, its history and impact on Indian society, and the state of the system in modern India.
Social Studies/ Sociology
The Education For All declaration is based on the belief that education is a human right. This assertion is made in the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights, The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Have your students research these documents, their history, and their impact on human rights.
Community Connections
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