Approximately 30% of High School Students Feel School Subjects Are Useless for Society

May and June are mid-term exam seasons for high school students in Japan. While many focus on their studies, it is common for students to wonder, 'Where will I ever use this?' or 'Is this actually useful in the real world?' The marketing information site 'Wakamono Research' conducted a survey among high school students nationwide asking, 'Do you think the content of high school classes is useful in society?' The results showed that 70.7% believe it is useful, while 29.3% do not, indicating that nearly 30% feel their classes are meaningless. Those who answered 'not useful' provided blunt feedback, such as 'studying is useless' or 'I won't use this in daily life.' Mathematics, in particular, faced harsh criticism, especially from female students who claimed it is 'never used' or 'a waste of time.' On the other hand, the 70% who believe classes are useful cited the importance of general knowledge, the ability to understand news, and the necessity of learning about politics and elections to function as adults. This survey highlights the underlying sentiment that students feel they are being forced to study for test scores rather than for practical life skills.