• Izumi Mori JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow (RPD), Sophia University

• Kenneth Mori McElwain Professor, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo

Private junior high schools are often viewed positively in the media as providing a superior educational environment, which can lead to better academic and personal development. However, previous research has not fully elucidated the actual consequences of attending private schools. Using the Japanese Longitudinal Study of Children and Parents, this study examines the effects of private junior high schools on students’ academic and social outcomes. The findings indicate that students in private schools experience a more academically challenging environment and improved satisfaction with lessons and schools in the initial year after enrollment. However, there were no notable differences in social interaction with friends, self-esteem, and non-cognitive skills compared to public schools. These results suggest that although socioeconomic differences may exist in access to private schools, there may not be significant differences in student outcomes during the junior high school years.

Izumi Mori is currently a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Sophia University. After receiving a Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Policy at Pennsylvania State University, she taught Sociology at Rikkyo University as an Assistant Professor and worked as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo. Her current research aims to understand Japanese education from a cross-national perspective, focusing on issues such as equality and equity in Japanese public education, the effects of attending private junior high schools, and the involvement of the education business sector in educational policy.