ABSTRACT
Attempts at socializing children into the group are neither confined to preschool nor are they merely an implicit educational goal. Socializaton is an explicit part of the school curriculum. Moral education seeks to teach respect for one's family, school, and community, and the group-centered activities seek to promote a sense of belonging and commitment to the group. In general, public schools in any country are places of high visibility. However, there are a variety of reasons why visibility is higher in Japan than elsewhere. There is no free time for students – no independent study periods, free library time, and so on. All students attend class with their teachers all of the time. And, with the exception of art, music, and physical education classes, the students remain in the same classrooms all day. Judging the overall merits and demerits of the Japanese educational system is complex and subjective. Group identity and dependence are carefully fostered through early socialization practices.
