Yutori is considered harmful: Agent-based analysis for education policy in Japan

Abstract

Conclusions: This chapter describes an agent-based simulation of the influence of education policy upon stratified students' academic abilities. We have proposed that the academic achievement gap in the social stratum is not caused by academic ability or investment in education, but by the action rules for task achievement, that is, by the motivation to learn. It suggests that education policy should aim at cultivating students' motivation to learn. Future work includes exploring the various factors for the causal relationship between levels of academic achievement and education policy, because, in general, levels of academic achievement depend on national education policy and education systems (Green 1997). © 2005 Springer-Verlag Tokyo.