American and Japanese Education Comparative Analysis of Educational Systems of American and Japanese Schools: Views and Visions

That free government rests, as does all progress, upon the broad-est possible diffusion of knowledge, and that the Commonwealth should avail itself of those talents which nature has sown so lib-erally among its people by assuring the opportunity for their fullest development by an effective system of education through-out the Commonwealth. —Thomas Jefferson, 1779 Erasmus once said, “The main hope of a nation lies in the proper edu-cation of its youth. ” Knowing the great impact education has on a nation, I decided to investigate the education systems in America and Japan. In May 2006, I was able to observe and work with Japanese students, teach-ers, and administrators through the University of Toledo’s Study Abroad Program. The aim of the study was to answer how educational systems or practices in Japan and America differ, and how Japanese practices might improve those of American educators and administrators