“In Japan, you may have poor areas, but you don’t have poor schools”

The differences between Japanese and American investments in education, and what socioeconomic factors mean for student achievement in the two countries is explored in this Atlantic article by Alana Semuels.

In Japan there are fewer administrators, yet higher teacher pay and higher barriers to entering the profession. Teachers and students contribute to cleaning the school buildings, which also, in turn, contributes to lower per-pupil costs. Importantly, faculty collaboration and peer review of lesson plans is what drives classroom instruction, coupled with a risk-inclined environment.