Journal of Quality Education Vol. 6

オピニオン『塾教育』の役割を考える
須原 秀和*，加賀田 哲也**
*須原英数教室，**大阪教育大学

英語教育講座A Study of the Role of “Juku School Education”
Hidekazu Suhara *, Tetsuya Kagata *** Suhara English and Math Juku School, ** Osaka Kyoiku University

It has been thirty-five years since my wife and I started to run a small juku
school without the help of any other teachers. Small juku schools like ours usuallyfocus not only on “teaching,” but also “nurturing” children. We call this “Juku
School Education.”
At juku we also instill discipline into the children by using good manners andappropriate language. Some children are at a rebellious age, and do not listen towhat their parents say. However, if we juku school teachers maintain good
relationships with both the children and their parents, children will open theirminds to us, which can also lead to building a healthy parent-child relationship. I
think the juku school teacher’s presence as a “third party” alongside parents isnecessary to educate children at home.
At school, our role as this “third party” between teachers and students helps
the children to be motivated, facilitate a good teacher-student relationship, andfocus on studying. So far, we have played the role of the “third party” between
teachers and students. For example, I have spoken at a newly-recruited teachers’
training seminar at Osaka Yao High School, at teachers’ seminars at Konko Yao
Junior and Senior High Schools and Naniwa Junior and Senior High Schools. I
have also given lectures for first- and second-year students at Yao High School attheir study camp, and at a newly-enrolled student orientation camp for parents andstudents who are enrolled in humanities and sciences courses at Kinki University
High School. These are just a few examples. Periodically held “discussion
meetings” by enthusiastic school teachers and juku school teachers have also
produced synergetic effects on school education and juku school education, andthe cooperation of regular school teachers and juku school teachers on an equal
footing has achieved desirable results that exceed our expectations. I hope people
will recognize juku school education as the “Fourth” education category.

Keywords : Juku School Education , the third party , the “Fourth” education category
キーワード：塾教育，第三者，第四の教育カテゴリー*〒581-0866 八尾市東山本新町5-8-1 須原英数教室
Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to: Hidekazu Suhara, Suhara English and Math Juku
School 5-8-1 Shinmati Higashiyamamoto Yao City , Osaka, 581-0866, JAPAN Email: hlk@alpha.ocn.ne.jp

A Study of the Role of “Juku School Education”

1. The Start of the “Juku School Education” Concept
Mr. Ryoudou Yasui, the chief chairperson of the Uenomiya Gakuen Boardof Trustees and a former priest of Chion-in Temple said, “Education is not only
teaching, but also nurturing children.” I heard these words some ten years ago when
Mr. Yasui was a principal and I have cherished his words as the basis of our education
since then. I was also convinced that our teaching as juku teachers has been on theright track for the past twenty years. Since 1979 – for thirty five years – I have beenrunning a juku school with my wife, and we have maintained the same concept of
education described by Mr. Yasui. I assume most juku school teachers have theabove-mentioned educational philosophy. This is what we call “Juku School
Education.”

1.1. What is Juku School?
Home education means that parents teach their children things that help them tolive as humans as they grow up, such as language, morals, life habits, knowledge andwisdom, communication, and study habits. It could also be rephrased as “parenting”
or “discipline.” Parents tend to rely on private tutors or juku schools rather than teachtheir children by themselves when their children cannot keep up with the classes orwhen parents want their children to deepen their understanding of what they learn inschool or to acquire higher level education. During the baby boomers’ “examination
war,” I believe there were many parents who made their children go to juku school,
hoping for them to enter high-level schools. “Yutori kyoiku (pressure-free education)”
also spurred highly-educated parents who were concerned about this education style
to put more trust in juku schools.
Thus, juku schools have been established as a supplement to home education.
This type of teaching has garnered increasingly positive results, and has, therefore,
gained recognition from society. I believe that juku schools are necessary today. It iseasy to imagine that if there were no juku schools, students' scholastic abilities would
deteriorate. As there are different sizes and forms of juku schools, it is difficult topoint out what the “greatest common denominator” is among juku schools. What are
the distinctive differences between juku school education and regular school
education? I would say that the greatest difference is that the juku school does notneed to follow the Ministry of Education’s curriculum guidelines. Each juku school
decides its own guiding principles, and parents and students choose the juku school

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which best matches their needs. Another significant difference is that students can quita juku school at any time.
It is next to impossible to enter a private unified junior-senior high school
without studying for an entrance exam at juku school because the difficulty of thequestions on entrance exams go beyond the range and level of what students learn inregular schools. Besides, in these private junior high schools, students cover three
years’ worth of public school material in the first two years. For example, an average
private junior high school English textbook contains three times more material as an
English textbook used in public schools. It is possible for juku schools to coversubject contents which are beyond the Ministry of Education’s guidelines if necessary,and also possible for juku schools to provide a much higher level of instruction whilestaying within the Ministry of Education’s guidelines. Parents generally strive forthese goals.
Furthermore, while school education tends to be uniform and standardized, theteachers in juku school can take more time for individual, level-appropriate
instruction for students. In addition, public schools sometimes have a disruptive
atmosphere that prohibits students from studying attentively. I believe one of thereasons why juku schools exist is to provide a supportive place for students to study.
In this way, there is freedom from the Ministry of Education’s guidelines, but
juku schools are still chosen and directed by parents and social needs.

1.2. “Home Education” and “Juku School Education”
Juku schools, especially small-sized juku schools, are usually closer to thestudent’s family than regular schools because the juku schools not only teach students,
but also give advice to students and their parents regarding the student’s discipline,
future career, etc. In fact, the number of parents seeking such advice has been
increasing. At public schools, there is an individual conference each term when they
discuss the students’ future career and give advice to them regarding how they canstudy. However, there is a word called “Getabako PTA (Shoe Cupboard PTA)”;parents who do not say much during the PTA conference, but secretly express theirtrue feelings or complaints to other parents that they are on good terms with as theychange their shoes to go home. This is a word that I learned and practicallyexperienced over 20 years ago when I took the position of PTA chairman at anelementary school.

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However, as you could infer from this word, parents are generally hesitant to beforthcoming with school teachers face-to-face. Parents are concerned about how
homeroom teachers and subject teachers may treat their children if they offend theteachers. This is all the more the case if a grade report that can affect their children’s
career paths exist. Even if they have complaints or are discontent, both parents andstudents would need to spend much energy and have courage to quit a regular school,
while it is easy to quit a juku school. This is why it is easier for parents to speak to thejuku school teachers than it is for them to speak to the regular school teachers.
On the one hand, juku schools make an effort to listen to students and parents
carefully, because from their perspective, losing students is a problem that is related totheir ability to continue to exist. From an administrative standpoint, besides being partof a capitalist economy, juku schools are also destined to be selected according to theneeds of the parents and society, as was mentioned before.
For juku schools, “education” and “administration” are interrelated. In thisrespect, juku schools are very similar to private schools. This is why, in giving career
guidance, juku schools outperform regular schools with their wealth and accuracy of
reliable data. Even if regular schools and juku schools offered the same services, withregards to quality and quantity one could say that many parents would choose to place
their trust in juku schools.
Due to prolonged recession and increasing divorces, the number of mothers
who have part-time jobs has been increasing. Because of this, the ability to teachchildren at home has been in decline. Some parents lack confidence in raising andeducating their children, and in extreme cases, they even abuse their children. Kenji
Kiyonaga, a juvenile delinquency researcher, says in Motomerareru Kodomo wo“Shimin” ni suru Kyoiku (Educating Children to Become Citizens) to Kazuo
Nishimura, who wrote Gakuryoku no Dodai (The Groundwork for Academic
Abilities) that “It would be better to leave children to able teachers or caring
communities than to uncaring parents who have no educational ability.” I do not agree
that we should act as surrogate parents, but I think that small-sized juku schools play arole in this. Not only do juku schools focus on the education of students, but also alarge part of juku school lies in “home education.” I think this shows there is a strong
connection between “juku school education” and “home education.”
When going through a rebellious phase, junior or senior high school students do
not listen to what their parents say. As Japan has shifted to the “nuclear family,” there

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are fewer household members living together, and neighbors and local communities
have become less connected. “Home education” consists mostly of only parent-childinteractions. I think, however, the presence of the “third party” serving as a mediator
is needed to raise children.
It has been confirmed that juku schools, especially small-sized juku schools, areable to adopt this role as the “third party” through the interaction of parents andstudents. The most important thing is that both parents and juku school teachers
should raise children hand in hand. Juku school education will function best withsupport and understanding from parents. As a result, juku schools strengthen therelationships between students and their parents. Even after graduation, students andparents tend to come back to their juku teachers and talk about career choices, jobs,
marriage, etc. This is because juku school education focuses on “nurturing” as well asteaching.

1.3. “School Education” and “Juku School Education”
We do not need to regain the prewar teacher-student relationship as it isdescribed in the movie called “Twenty-Four Eyes,” but the relationship between
teachers and students/parents was much closer in the mid-Showa Period just after the
war than now where both students and parents respected and trusted teachers. Most
children obeyed their parents when they were threatened, “I will tell your teacher
about this!” I believe it was because teachers were viewed as “clerical professionals.”
However, at present, teachers typically transfer to another school in five toseven years, and even if former students visit their schools which they have graduatedfrom, they can rarely see their former teachers. Even in rapidly-growing private
schools, instructors and teachers who are sent from temporary staff services
sometimes teach classes. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to ask these teachers
to be dedicated to their school, and it cannot be helped if the image of a teacher as“clerical professional” fades away. Thus, the educational function of schools iscurrently declining.
Kazuhiro Fujiwara, a former principal of Wada Junior High School, said in atalk with Professor Takehiko Kariya from Tokyo University, “When I asked a woman
who loved reading to come to the library, children who didn’t like reading but had
nowhere else to go turned up. This woman became a mentor for them. I didn’t expect
the library would become like the second school nurse's office… Although their elder

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brothers and sisters who are in “dotera” (juku schools in former days) helped themwith their homework, sharing experiences with them was more important than doing
homework to connect children with society.” As stated above, in the past, teachersand people who lived in the neighborhood were often the woman in the library andthe sisters and brothers in dotera. Although this may be unusual at most public juniorhigh schools, it is a daily occurrence in small-sized juku schools. Why then could thisnot be called “juku school education”?
In the past, I was also such a person, but there are quite a number of juku school
teachers who participate as members of public high school discussion committees.
Furthermore, at present, we have reached the point where juku school teachers
participate in and supplement school education. We should eradicate the barriers
between regular and juku schools and put away our prejudices, so that we can educate
our children on an “equal footing,” not from a supplementary relationship. This iswhat I desire and am striving for.

1.4. “Social Education” and “Juku School Education”
If people look at social education from a broader perspective, home educationand school education could be considered a part of social education. However, ingeneral, social education excludes home education and school education, and is also
considered “lifelong learning education.” In my opinion, social education, in a narrow
sense, includes events such as children’s group activities, local festivals, volunteer
activities, and so on. Therefore, social education may also be rephrased as“community education.” In other words, this is to raise children locally and withsociety.
Even now there are town assemblies and organizations in each community. For
example, they hold public sports festivals and traditional festivals using publicschools’ playgrounds. However, due to the population decrease in urban areas, thebond between the new suburban residents and already established residents is
becoming weaker. In the past, small Bon dance festivals were held everywhere, andpeople in the neighborhood took care of children in the community as if they were
their own. Nowadays, it is better not to be involved with other people’s business.
Furthermore, the local state of affairs is that not only are women’s social advancementand declining birth rates that make it more difficult to gather organizers and members

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for civil sports festivals, but they are also leading to a problem where the continuationof children’s organizations is endangered.
Under these circumstances, as a role of their “school education”, regularschools are practicing forming bonds with society by having their students clean thestreets that they use to go to school or visit senior care homes as part of their club or
circle activities. Among private juku schools there are also those that follow activities
conducted at regular schools by having their students participate in local
environmental projects, or delivering rice cakes made at a rice cake-making event toelderly neighbors. Juku schools are making great efforts to integrate into thecommunity as juku school students who have become members of young men’s
associations participate in collecting contributions for local festivals, and at times,
visit their own juku schools. In this manner, small juku school owners tend to become“community educators” and offer advice on education. Therefore, there is a strong
possibility of juku schools strengthening closer relationships in the communities.

2. Juku Education as the “Fourth” Education Category
What I insist here is that juku schools may, or rather should, be in the positionof the “third party” in school education. Not only in home education but also inschool education, the “third party” presence, which knows both teachers and students
well, encourages the students to focus more on studying. Then, why would it be easy
to motivate students to study? Why can school teachers, students, and parents
cultivate a better relationship?
I gave a lecture to first- and second-year students at a prefectural high school. I
showed changes in students’ academic ability between when they entered and when
they graduated, disseminated accurate data regarding university admittance, presented
specific learning methods, and encouraged the students to build up their confidence.
Two weeks later, surprised at the responses of students who listened to the lecture, theschool principal visited me. The principal very happily said, “I have been telling thestudents something similar to what Mr. Suhara said at the lecture, but....” The student
motivation for learning had definitely increased.
I believe what the principal told me explains everything. The principal andschool teachers say the same thing to the students on a regular basis, but when I, as
the “third party” presence, mention it, it sounds more plausible, and the students trust
the school teachers even more. Also, lecture topics such as realistic, specific, and161

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practical learning methods and topics related to career course that are not often taken
up in classes persuade students more easily due to the accurate and rich data presented
by juku school teachers. Thus, the students can have a clear sense of purpose and be
easily engaged in learning. They can be motivated by thinking: “I can do it if I try, so
let’s do it,” which ultimately leads them to focus on classes at school. This has been
proven through the students’ comments and responses concerning my lectures.
School teachers are not familiar with situations at other schools or students inother schools. Students hardly know the conditions of other schools, either. However,
juku school teachers have close relationships with many schools throughschool-sponsored orientations or consultation meetings regarding entrance
examinations. The juku school teachers also have close contact with school teachers
on a personal level. They can also obtain abundant information from the students who
go to various schools and their parents. Therefore, in lectures at schools andperiodical discussion meetings with school teachers, juku school teachers can provide
objective information for school teachers and the students. They can provide fresh air
to schools that tend to remain closed. And what is more, the discussion meeting,where school teachers and juku school teachers exchange their honest opinions, is not
only good for school teachers but also beneficial to juku school teachers in giving
educational guidance to the students. I think it is truly a synergy of school educationand juku school education.

2.1. Eradicating the Barriers between Regular Schools and Juku Schools
In my juku school, we support our students both academically and mentally. We
have not changed our approach since we started our school. We have published anewsletter called “Kyoshitsudayori” for many years. When we started our school, it
had only two pages and was printed on coarse paper, and distributed every month or
two to the students’ parents to let them know how students were doing in class.
Nowadays, we distribute it once a year, but it has become a forty- to sixty-pagebooklet with colored pictures. It tells not only about what is happening at our school,
but also my personal opinions on timely topics such as “The importance of verbal
aptitude,” “Warning against PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)
education,” and “Touching the first rank,” and it has become an informativeeducational magazine. We currently distribute around 50 copies of the booklets toparents, and over 500 copies to juku school graduates, juku school teachers, regular162

Journal of Quality Education Vol. 6

school teachers, and some publishing companies. We will soon publish the 130th issue.
It especially attracts favorable comments from school teachers, and through“Kyoshitudayori,” we gain opportunities to get acquainted with school teachers on a
personal level.
At my juku school, there were some delinquent students in the past who had
poor academic performance or who were suspended from school. We appreciated it
when we had a teacher whom we had close relationships with in schools thosestudents attend. By liaising and collaborating closely with each other, these students
tend to regain confidence in themselves and show interest in learning. In the long run,they pass entrance exams to their first choice school, and the students themselves,
their parents, school teachers, and I will be happy with the results. By eradicating thebarriers between regular schools and juku schools and providing instructions to thestudents on an equal footing by abolishing prejudice, we will be able to create
exceptional results as described above. This is where the “Small juku school’s
educational function” exists.
It may be easier to understand if we look at “home education,” “school
education,” and “social education” in the below diagram with three rings. As I havementioned before, there were some areas where the functions of the three educational
categories overlapped. However, I think these three rings now seem to be shrinking
and are either separated or have smaller overlapping areas due to the social
phenomena of an increasing number of nuclear families, women's more active
participation in society, parents’ higher level education which either equals or
surpasses that of teachers, and a decline in the educational functions of parents andschool teachers. Again, in social education, heavy emphasis is laid on the viewpointof “lifelong education” and currently I cannot escape the feeling that the “society as aplace to raise up children” section has indeed become smaller.
“Juku school education” not only contributes the educational activities withinjuku schools but also makes home education and school education successful by
joining in education activities as the “third party.” Furthermore, from here on out itshould also deepen its relationship with social education in the narrow sense. I am
hoping that “juku school education” may be able to stop the decline in academic
ability and social morals. It should be considered that the fourth ring, “Juku School
Education,” organically overlaps with the original three rings. Nowadays, I am keenly163

A Study of the Role of “Juku School Education”

Diagram: Functions of Juku School Education
Functions of Juku School Education1.

Education at juku school2.

Cooperation with “Home Education”

3.

Cooperation with “School Education”
・Individual basis : guidance of students with school andjuku school teachers
・Holistic basis : guidance of students and teachers throughlectures given by juku school teachers○ “ Home Education,” “School Education,”Home Education“Social Education” used to overlap and function well.

Home Education: education provided to the childby the parents to help the child enjoy

School Education

Social Education

a humanly life in the future
School Education: education provided to the childby the teachers at school
Home Education

Social Education: education provided to the childby the adults of the community (in a narrow sense)○

Nuclear families, women’s participation in society,and parents’ advanced levels of education have caused
the three rings to become loose or separate.

School Education

Social Education

Home Education○“Juku School Education” functions as the “third party”
presence between “Home Education” and “School Education.”“Juku School Education” organically binds the three

Juku School Education

rings as the fourth education category.

School Education

Social Education

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aware from my practice that this is the role being demanded of juku schools,
especially small juku schools,.

3. Prospects of Juku School Education
At the beginning of “Shi Juku, Shi Gaku, Kigyou Kyouiku Net Youran (13thedition) (Private Juku Schools, Private Schools, and Companies Education Net
Directory)” published on June 10th, 2013, Mr. Hakubun Shimomura, the Minister of
Education, commented, “… when Central Council for Education report was submitted
in July, 1999, newspapers revealed: “the Ministry of Education approved juku schools”(Yomiuri), “the Ministry of Education coexists with juku schools” (Asahi).” The
Ministry of Education at that time acknowledged juku schools. In addition to this, theJapan Juku Association, the only official juku group, became a public interest
incorporated association from an incorporated association in April of the same year.
On June 10 of last year, Mr. Shimomura also gave high praise and recognition
to juku school education. He actually gave a speech at a ceremony to celebrate thestatus change of the Japan Juku Association. He said that few people knew that juku
schools not only focus on studying, but also teaching good manners and social rules,
and thus juku schools are conducting moral education as well. This is the time when
we can proudly demonstrate the significance of juku school education to the public.
Juku schools started as supplementary education, but now they are expected to play agreater role in society.
On the other hand, there aren’t many scholars who research juku school
education in Japan. Dr. Julian Dierkes, associate professor at the University of British
Columbia in Canada, contributed his paper about juku school in the book “Gakusyu
Juku 100 Nen no Rekishi (100-Year History of Juku Schools)” published in April,2012. The book took six years to complete and had 160 writers and 24 editors
nationwide. Dr. Dierkes mentioned in the book that he conducted interviews withmany Japanese people about juku school education. I would heartily like to pay
homage and express my appreciation to Dr. Dierkes for his research.
However, unfortunately, at the beginning of the paper, there is a part that istranslated as “The existence of juku schools is not good. However, it cannot be helped.
As it is metaphorically expressed in such words, it is still a fact that it is illegal andsuspicious.” Even without any qualifications, anyone can open a juku school
anywhere that they please. It is no wonder then that suspicious juku schools exist.

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Therefore, this may be a partial truth, but it is not the entire truth. I have beenteaching for thirty five years with my wife, but I have never thought that we havecontinued doing what is “illegal” or “suspicious.” I thought someone should raise
their voice to tell the world that juku schools have other facets. “I cannot stand thesituation as it is!” is what I felt. This is why I made a presentation about “Juku School
Education” at the International Education Society.
Nurturing is not only limited to studying, but it is also seen in sports, music andother various arts. It is the juku school, however, that plays a significant role in bothteaching and nurturing in the field of studying. In that sense, juku school teachers
should be aware that they are contributing to society and should be proud of andresponsible for what they are doing.
I am a practitioner of juku school education, but not a researcher. Juku school
education is still unknown territory. We have not yet seen the words “Juku School
Education” on the spine of a book on the shelves of large book shops. I hope many
Japanese educators will also conduct studies on juku school education. My teachingpractice as a juku school teacher may be a small step, but I am sure that the saying“the longest journey begins with a single step” will prove to be true. As juku schools
were recognized by the Ministry of Education in 1999, I hope that juku school
education will also be recognized before too long as the “fourth” education category
along with “home education,” “school education,” and “social education.” Lastly I
strongly desire that the phrase “Juku School Education” will prevail in the publicsphere, finally supplanting the phrase “supplementary education.”

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