Americans should be thankful for the schools they have

As a person who has 11 years of Japanese education background, I do not think the Japanese school methods (mentioned in Matt Csanyi's Feb. 28 column "Japanese school methods worth trying") are worth trying. I mean, who on earth wants to go to school on Saturday? Or, do you really want to score high on math and science while your major concentration is something else? \nWhen I was in high school in Japan, I remember math was always bothersome because it just gets harder and harder until we all know differential and integral calculus. By the way, did you know most Japanese high schools have academic entrance examinations and interviews for incoming freshmen? To pass these two entrance exams for both high school and college, the majority of students in Japan go to supplementary private school, called "Juku," where they teach you the test strategy. Consequently, they end up having a huge amount of homework from two schools! Under these conditions, no wonder they start slacking off once they get into college. I admit I was a little bit overloaded, and it is so hard to get back into shape after you are blown out.\nGenerally speaking, some college students in Japan never do their homework; they have already used up their effort to get into school, and now is the time they can relax and go wild! \nI have no idea how they can manage to graduate from school, but the fact is some of them end up having no practical knowledge and skills when they actually have to work in the real society because businesses don't care what their major is but the name of the college they attend.\nAlthough none of my Japanese friends from high school went on their first dates at the library, I am pretty sure they spend more time studying, especially after school, while American students go to the movies and shop around Wal-Mart. My conclusion is that the public education system does not always work effectively for everybody, and whether you study or not and how eagerly you study is totally up to each individual's decision.