4-2 Curriculum and the Grades Received (Q. 9, 10)

In answering whether "what you have learned in school will be useful and relevant in what you would like to accomplish in the future", more than 90% students in the US responded affirmatively. This might be a proof that as a whole American education is geared toward practicality in both high school and college level.
In Japan, this practicality is more appreciated in public school than private school, college rather than high school. We must remember, however, that the survey was administered at an engineering college where practicality is emphasized in the school motto. Taking these aspects into consideration, we presume that this aspect of practicality wouldeven go lower, had we included liberal arts universities.
Having 60 percent of Japanese public high school students feel that the curriculum that is offered is irrelevant, we must admit the contents of publichigh school courses are detached from the societal as well as students' need, thereby demanding reconsideration of the whole curriculum. Another figure which reinforces the above argument is that only 24% of students who just want a high school diploma responded that their high school curriculum was "useful" enough. Actually, even among those who pursue a B.A. or beyond, only 44% of the respondents felt the school curriculum was meeting their needs. Therefore, it is an urgent task for us to reconstruct our school curriculum and redefine what should be taught.

[Do you think what you have learned in school will be useful and relevant in what you would like to accomplish in the future?]

At the same time, it is important to reflect on the methods of evaluation that are used in schools and colleges. When asked "if you feel the grades you are getting at school directly reflect your ability", we find an identical pattern between the two countries. In terms of academic aspirations, we could not detect any direct correlation with assessment on this subject, leading us to conclude that there is a universal pattern in how one's ability is evaluated by others.