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I shocked the news that over 40 percent of elementary school children in Japan think the sun revolves around the earth. The survey was conducted by officials at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
“Forty to 50 percent of children have an image of space with the earth at the center," Agata, the conductor of this research, said of the survey results. "The current content of learning for elementary school students is extremely insufficient.”
But he also said as follows; there was a problem with the current curriculum introduced in 2000 that gives a Ptolemaic system-type explanation that only looks at the movements of the sun, moon and stars as observed from the earth. He said changes should be made when the curriculum is next revised.
I think his opinion is doubtful. Even though the amount of thing that children should study has been reduced since 2000, there is no evidence that students sholastic ability has fallen, for there is no evidence that shows what it was.
