High School Students in Japan Today
What do high school students today usually think about? The results of a survey on the will to achieve among high school students in Japan, the U.S., China and ROK, published recently by the Japan Youth Research Institute, give a glimpse of their outlook. The survey, carried out between October and December 2006, targeted 1,461 students at 12 public and private high schools in Japan (those in public schools accounted for some 70%, and those in private schools for some 30%); 1,271 students at 14 public schools in the U.S.; 1,763 students at 18 public schools in China; and 1,181 students at 21 public and private high schools in ROK (those in public schools accounted for some 70%, and those in private schools for some 30%). In each country, the proportion of males and females is more or less equal.
For example, when asked if they would like to achieve distinction in the future, 22.3 percent of the U.S. students answered "strongly". The same answer was given by 34.4 percent of the Chinese respondents, 22.9 percent of the Korean respondents, and a mere 8.0 percent of their Japanese counterparts. While the high school students surveyed in countries other than Japan were positive about "achieving distinction", explaining that it allowed a person to demonstrate their own potential more fully and to win the esteem of other people, rather negative remarks were given by the Japanese respondents, such as "it brings heavier responsibilities" and "it deprives one of one's own time." In Japan today, few students reportedly volunteer to become class presidents at school.
Where views on everyday life are concerned, the majority of the Japanese respondents replied, "I would prefer a laid-back lifestyle provided I have an income sufficient enough to get by on", while the U.S. respondents replied, "I would like to tackle something big at least a few times in my lifetime"; the Chinese respondents replied, "I would like to tackle a challenge, whatever difficulties there may be"; and the Korean respondents replied, "I would like to demonstrate my own ability in a large organization."
As for professions in which they would like to engage in the future, students in Japan cited "business, sales and services"; those in the U.S., "doctor," "designer," and "professional athlete or singer"; those in China, "management or executive of a company," "civil servant," and "legal career"; and those in ROK, "teacher at a primary or junior high school," "management or executive of a company," and "designer."
The survey shows that for some reason only young people in Japan gave the impression that they have somewhat old-fashioned ideas and no positive attitude towards the future. In addition, they are, in general, exhausted. When asked about their mental state, the young people surveyed in the U.S., China and ROK who answered that they frequently get irritable accounted for a little over 10 percent, while those in Japan accounted for 28.0 percent. At the same time, approximately 30 percent of those surveyed in the U.S., China and ROK replied that they were very often tired against 50.0 percent of the Japanese respondents.
