Cram Schools vs Chatbots: Who Will Win the Battle for Japan’s Education System?

Today, I will be discussing ”Is Japan’s traditional cramming-style education still necessary in the age of generative AI like ChatGPT?” using coverage from major Japanese media outlets to examine the unique education system in Japan and the potential of generative AI like ChatGPT.

As you know, the wave of AI has permeated every corner of daily life even before 2023. In this modern age where Siri and Alexa answer by voice and self-driving cars drive in place of humans, AI technology has come to alleviate people’s troubles in many situations. What is particularly noteworthy is the active role AI has begun to play in education since the beginning of this year. Generative AI like ChatGPT has the ability to immediately answer questions and explain difficult themes.

So now with such AI, is Japan’s unique cramming-style education really still necessary? This issue has two sides to it, doesn’t it?

First, cramming-style education has a history in Japan. To pass exams, students have been required to memorize each and every fact and piece of knowledge. Of course, there are merits to this. Having a solid grasp of basic knowledge provides the foundation to tackle more advanced knowledge. However, this approach tends to focus on memorization and often does not lead to true understanding or training in thinking.

On the other hand, AI-assisted education with generative AI allows instant answers to questions, obtaining solutions faster than thinking it through oneself. That seems convenient at first glance, but that speed and convenience could hinder deeper thinking. Overly relying on AI that spits out answers in an instant could result in a lack of training in thinking for oneself, ultimately leading to poor assimilation of knowledge.

Now let’s look at the characteristics of Japanese education. Japan has a culture rooted in cherishing “wa” (和, harmony), with teamwork and cooperation highly valued. While cramming-style education may be effective in maintaining individual knowledge levels, how much does it contribute to this “wa” culture? AI excels at solving individual problems, but skills like building human relationships, empathy, and cooperation are difficult for AI to acquire.

So far I’ve shared my thoughts on Japanese education. Next let’s look at it from a more objective viewpoint! A Japanese Abema TV program discussed this topic in a video titled

[Memorization: Is Cramming Necessary in Education? How Can ChatGPT Be Used for Learning? Can Generative AI Enable Optimized Individualized Instruction?].

https://youtu.be/CBXPEjr-f3o?si=HMAxgGuj65noRvjF

Since this YouTube video is in Japanese, I will briefly summarize the key points and explain the background in an easy to understand way!

The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, held a dialogue event with 800 students at Keio University in response to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government cautioning public schools against simply copying and submitting ChatGPT’s answers for summer vacation homework. (Keio University is the most prestigious private university in Japan).

Questions were raised about how ChatGPT could contribute to issues like poverty and education. Altman answered that ChatGPT is proficient in both Japanese and English and can convey things like a novel.

For English native speakers who may not know — ChatGPT can generate incredibly sophisticated Japanese text. Of course the same applies for Bing, Bard, Claude2 (although Claude2 is not as good at Japanese).

Amidst the expanding use of ChatGPT, a debate over the “memorization not needed” theory has emerged on Twitter. Since ChatGPT teaches answers, some claim memorization is unnecessary — history and such just needs to be roughly understood. In response, this YouTube program discussed how education should change in the AI era.

Education critic Ishida Katsunori and game developer Yamada Motoyasu were invited as guests. Ishida said the Tokyo Met warning was a natural caution, but in reality parents are assisting with homework, and he understands ChatGPT’s utilization itself is not rejected, just copying. Yamada meanwhile insisted ChatGPT obstructs necessary training for elementary and junior high students, and banning its use is desirable.

Ishida said that since ChatGPT easily summarizes texts, creating summaries loses meaning as an assignment, and rather the way assignments are given itself should change. Yamada also said that while the curriculum emphasizes thinking skills, ChatGPT’s emergence has caused turmoil, and a line must be drawn between foundational training and application. Both agreed that ChatGPT should be utilized gradually like a calculator.

Summarizing the program, the host commented that ChatGPT’s greatest merit is enabling optimized individualized learning. It was stated that this can save children left behind by uniform education. However, Tokyo Met’s notice has an authoritarian aspect of regulating personal life, and while bans in public spheres are one thing, private active utilization should be proposed. Finally, proper explanation of ChatGPT’s purpose is vital in school settings.

The debate unfolding here is a microcosm of the debate currently happening in Japan. With the contribution of generative AI to solving many problems today, I want it to revolutionize especially Japan’s educational system, which has issues compared to other countries.

In conclusion, while generative AI like ChatGPT is contributing to solving many problems today, Japan’s traditional cramming-style education also has a certain value. AI excels in speed and accuracy of information, but the process of learning things unique to humans like empathy, cooperation, and culture can only be obtained through cramming-style education.

Well everyone, what did you think about this article?