Educational Dilemmas in East Asia: The Impact of Confucianism in Modern Society

As education-related social issues in East Asia have become more prominent, there has been an increasing amount of discussion about education in East Asia. While the political and economic situations of East Asian countries are very different, there are many similarities in their educational issues, which are thought to be related to the influence of Confucianism on East Asian culture over the centuries. The importance of education and the pursuit of achievement in Confucianism has become part of East Asian culture, and this has become the cultural background of East Asian education issues. This article analyzes three of the more prominent social problems related to education issues in East Asian countries, namely, education fever, the general shortcomings of East Asian students, and the low level of happiness in East Asian societies. The article concludes with a discussion of the issues that governments in East Asian countries need to focus on in solving East Asian education problems.