4/14/2008

Obstacles to the Educational Success of Cambodians in Japan: Hiroshima University

1- Introduction
100.000 foreign students in 21st century is a number expected by Japan in Higher Education setting, through government and private scholarships. Though there were only 75.800 foreign students as by 2002 (Badamsambuu, 2002), the number of foreign students has been increasing remarkably. At Graduate school of International Development and Cooperation (IDEC), Hiroshima University, over 60 percent of the students are foreigners. These foreign students are seen as the setting the educational pace for the rest of Japanese. However, taking a close look, it will be seen that some nationals (students of a nation) are not doing well as others. This may be true for Cambodian students at Hiroshima University and other universities as well.
The aim of this paper is to discover why it is that Cambodian students are not as academically successful as others. In order to answer to this question, several factors should be examined: historical and educational background, culture, family, language, and mental and physical health.
2- Historical and Educational Background
Tracing back and starting from the genocidal regime, the Cambodians had to live through the ‘killing field’, from 1975-1979, when Cambodia was under the Democratic Kampuchea, ruling by Khmer Rouge. Economy, education system, building, infrastructure were completely destroyed. Educated people were killed (about 2 millions); people, including family members were killed or tortured in front of one another. Those who survived had been living through starvation, pain and suffering. This caused Cambodians, young eligible for schooling in particular, to miss out their educational opportunities during and after that tragedy period. Moreover, education system of Cambodia nowadays has been worse, though in many respects, it has improved. The clear point in this is teacher’s demand for ‘informal fees’ from the students (Launey, 2007); this forces some students who cannot afford to drop out of class. This has been one of the obstacles for Cambodian children getting proper education, let alone studying English language.
Before civil war, Cambodia adopted French education system in which students had to pass exams in order to be promoted to the next grade. However, Cambodian students’ education was disrupted in many points. The educational system was completely devastated by Khmer Rouge when they took power. The Khmer Rouge killed the one who was educated. The only education provided at that time was only learning the time tables by memorizing and learning the Khmer Rouge’s ideals of citizenship. For the Khmer Rouge, education was the damage to its revolution. (Pak, 2001)
From 1975-1979, the children practically learned nothing about reading or writing (Khmer). In some areas, schools were not available for over 10 years. Cambodian children/students, thus, had no enough time to adjust themselves to a formal school structure in such a short period.
The Japanese school system is a new experience for them, not just because of the new language, but also there are multiple subjects to learn. Moreover, students have to be responsible for their own learning not like at lower level which students waited in the class for the teacher to come to teach and there is only one teacher for all subjects. The habit that teacher is the knowledge-giver and student is the receiver does not establish the critical thinking skills of the students. This system does not allow students to ask or create questions; this does not only make their creative thwart but also affect their interpersonal skills and relationship negatively (Pak, 201). This kind of negative experiences made them disadvantageous when entering the Japanese education system. This event is paralleled with event faced by foreign students of the University of the Ryukyu. 31.2% of 134 foreign students found the unfamiliarity with Japanese study methods one of the problems causing stress in their lives, and academic in particular (Randall, M., Naka, K., Yamamoto, K. Nakamoto, H., Arakaki, H., and Ogura, C., 1998).
Cambodian people/students do not like competition nor cooperation (Pak, 2001). However, at university level, in order to achieve good result, and some time to be accepted in idea, students have to fight against each other in ideas and/or to compete. By this, Cambodian students find it hard to adapt and adjust.
2- Culture
The same study by Randall et al. (1998) shows that culture is also one of significant causing problems for foreign students. In Cambodian culture, value and respect are given to high educated people. Particularly teachers receive great respect. Educating children responsibility is given to the teacher, even though the ultimate responsibility is on the children. Also, Cambodian culture believes that people are born with innate talent and disposition. Their success at school and in life is believed to be predetermined by these inborn abilities, therefore this belief makes parents hesitate in pushing their children in school. As a result, students are not so aggressive in studying that when facing with little obstacles they are likely not to pursue their study more. However, the Japanese school system is a competitive one, which students will be graded according to the performance. This system presents the obstacle to Cambodian students. During the sessions, though they know or have ideas to share, Cambodian students feel so shy that they will not talk unless they are asked or ordered to do so.
3- Family
Generally, student education does not depend on only the students themselves, teachers, or parents individually, but is a collective effort of individuals and family. Cambodian family-student interaction can be said superficial. Cambodian parents do/dare not push their children against their own interest and desire. Rather than put pressure on children to excel in education, parents tend to give advice and guidance only even though they may have high aspiration for the children. Whether single- or couple- parent family, this may also influence on the performance of the children. In 1990, percentage of Cambodian families that were survival together was 50% (Zhou, 1997). During Pol Pot regime, many Cambodian family spouses were killed, as a consequence, there has a high percentage of single-parent family. Raising children has become heavier burden for the family, let alone setting a role model for their children. Therefore, Cambodian children are lack of modality which they should look up to. A study by a sociologist, Zhou (1997), shows that couple-family provide better psychological environment, higher level of academic performance, and stronger educational aspirations than those in single-parent families. In short, lack of family modality, encouragement, and couple-parent may be the hinder in their academic pursuit, which may thus lead to lower performance level in their study.
4- Language
English is used as a medium of instruction at universities in Japan, at Hiroshima University in particular. Students must be English proficiency if they are to achieve academic success, needless to say about comprehension in the courses. Linguistically, it is believed that ‘sink or swim’, where the students are totally submerged in English in the classroom and have to learn on their own (Zhou, 1997). Students may find it hard to keep up and may be frustrated by not being able to understand or express themselves in the classroom. This language handicap is likely to be a considerable factor in preventing the success. It is even worse if the course inevitably attended by the students is conducted in Japanese language. Relating with Japanese language, those who possess high proficiency level of the language find studying and living in Japan more motivated, enjoyable and convenient than those who do not possess the language; as a consequence, they also study Japanese at the same time. Linguistically, Japanese is completely different from English, and Khmer specifically for several main points. To be more precise, the characters of the letters, grammar systems and even the syntaxes of both Japanese and Khmer are so different that Cambodian students find Japanese language hard to study. The hardship has become a stressor, which hinders the success in learning. As a result, those who fail in learning Japanese language find it less motivated in learning in other courses too. This point in case is also supported by the study of assessment of psychosocial stressors and maladjustment among foreign students of the University of the Ryukyu, which most students (55.2% of 134 informants) reported that language inadequacy also caused stress hindering their study (Randall et al., 1998).
5- Mental and Physical Health
Even though Japan is a part of Asia, it is completely different from Cambodia. It can be seen that Japan is a developed one which requires people to run along with a wheel of current socio-economic development and technology. Having no or little knowledge, in technology particularly, causes student life trouble. One more example of the difference can be seen in terms of climate. Cambodia has only two seasons: wet and dry, whereas Japan has four seasons: winter, summer, spring and fall. This climate difference may cause Cambodian students fairly weak in physical condition.
Additionally, living in this new environment requires them some time to adjust. They may need time to socialize with other foreign students, neighborhoods, and Japanese people in particular. Yet, being far away from motherland where students have been living for over twenty years will cause loneliness. In Okinawa, after the arrival, foreign students experienced serious mental health conditions; among 134 students, 39.6% had been very depressed, 11.9% were having a ‘nervous breakdown’, and 9.7% felt not want to live on (Randall et al., 1998). In order to overcome this problem, students may take some time to adapt, thus they may spend less time on their study, especially self-study. It is even more stressful when students cannot communicate successfully. A clear example for this point is that when students do shopping, they fail to get what they want to or to understand what is written on the label of the products. Otherwise, it is hard to find Japanese people, outside the university/school, to speak English; even though they can speak, their English will not help them to communicate effectively.
Once again, after Pol Pot regime, it was the time which children of that generation needed nutritious food the most in order to grow properly in terms of physical and mental health. Due to poverty, children of that time could not have enough food to eat. This missing period has resulted in making Cambodian students who are now at the university not so fully fledged physically and mentally.
6- Conclusion
Having observed the different factors that hinder the success in Education, we can see that a certain group of students are performing like this or like that in academic achievement. After looking at historical and educational background, culture, family, language, and mental and physical health, the answer why Cambodian students are not as good as others becomes clearer. However, there are many more factors that have not been examined in this paper that can help Cambodian students and other foreign students as a whole to be successful in their education, such as supervision of the supervisors; lecturers; other differences of the individuals including motivation, learning strategies, language aptitude; the management; other stakeholders and the community concerned. Overall, Cambodian students can improve their academic success once only they learn to adapt and adjust to living in Japan well.

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