Is English Really Necessary for Everyone? -- Children's Limited Time and the Uniformity of Education --

This paper examines a basic question about English education: if English is socially important, does that necessarily mean that every child should spend many years learning it in the same way? The paper considers the actual use of English in Japan, the limited amount of time available to children, and the opportunity costs of uniform education. It also discusses the Korean example as an illustration of the social and economic costs that can arise when educational competition becomes intense. The paper does not argue that English education is unnecessary or that past educational policies were simply wrong. Given the expectations surrounding globalization, emphasizing English education was a reasonable choice at the time. However, if reality develops differently from what was expected, it may be appropriate to reconsider the assumptions behind an educational system. The emergence of AI adds another dimension to this question. As translation, writing, information processing, and other language-related tasks become increasingly supported by AI, the relationship between personally mastering English and being able to participate in English-mediated activities is changing. The central question is therefore not simply whether English is important, but why a socially important skill should be taught to almost everyone, from childhood, for so many years—and whether children's limited time could sometimes be used differently.