ABSTRACT
THE WORD JUKU (A PRIVATE INSTITUTION OF LEARNING) today evokes two contradictory images in the minds of most Japanese. One is that of the private cram school where parents send their children to keep up with their school work, pass entrance examinations and get into prestigious schools and universities. This kind of juku stands for everything that is judged to be wrong with the present school system, which is perceived to be examination-driven, to stress factual knowledge and promote rote learning rather than independent thinking and to neglect the needs of the individual child.
