The education system in Japan
Shōgakkō (小学, Elementary school) from 6 to 12.
Chūgakkō (中学, Middle School) from 12 to 15.
Kōkō (高校, High school) from 15 to 18.
Daigaku (大学, University) or Senmongakkō (専 門 学校, Vocational school) in general with a duration of 2 to 4 years.
The United States typically (though this can differ depending on state and school district) divides education into Pre-school (3-5 years old), Kindergarten (5-6), Elementary school, Middle/Junior High School, High School, and on to College/University/Vocational School; with middle school being 2 years and high school being 4.
The main difference I found interesting between Japanese and American elementary schools was the heavier emphasis on morals and ethics education in Japan. Standard subjects such as mathematics, science, music, and physical education are of course taught, but morals is a separate subject complete with textbook and allocated time. It’s less of a time to state what kids should or shouldn’t do, but rather more of a period to facilitate discussion on moral dilemmas; how students would react to a given situation. There were never wrong or right answers, just time to talk about the black, white, and grey areas—just like real life.
School is compulsory until 15 years of age; however 99% of chūgakkō graduates enroll in high school to continue their studies. Those enrolled in public schools (untilchūgakkō) do not pay registration or school material fees. Families pay secondary costs such as meals and school trips. Whereas in the US there has been a heavy emphasis on graduating high school and moving on to an academic University, in Japan it’s less taboo to enroll in institutes specializing in agricultural, industrial, or technical training.
Life at school
School life is packed. Students attend classes from Monday to Friday, with additional half days every two Saturdays. On top of that, many students choose (probably sometimes involuntarily) to attend juku (cram school/after school classes, 塾) in order to study for entrance exams or get a better handle on specific subjects like English. Those who don’t attend juku participate in after school clubs and activities, such as baseball, volleyball, kendo, or any number of sports.
There are no janitors in Japanese schools. Students divide into teams to tackle all manners of keeping their school clean. Some mop the floors (or team up with rags and run across the floor in lines), some wipe the chalkboards, some sweep, and others weed the gardens. It’s an amazing team building activity, having the kids keep each other accountable for their own school and all working together to get it done. I found it an especially rewarding activity in my schools, running across floors pushing rags and sweating through my work clothes. It helped me build a bond with my kids and let me see a less serious side of how they interacted with eachother.
School is typically divided into five cycles:
Yōchien (幼稚園, Nursery school) from 3 to 6 years old.Shōgakkō (小学, Elementary school) from 6 to 12.
Chūgakkō (中学, Middle School) from 12 to 15.
Kōkō (高校, High school) from 15 to 18.
Daigaku (大学, University) or Senmongakkō (専 門 学校, Vocational school) in general with a duration of 2 to 4 years.
The United States typically (though this can differ depending on state and school district) divides education into Pre-school (3-5 years old), Kindergarten (5-6), Elementary school, Middle/Junior High School, High School, and on to College/University/Vocational School; with middle school being 2 years and high school being 4.
The main difference I found interesting between Japanese and American elementary schools was the heavier emphasis on morals and ethics education in Japan. Standard subjects such as mathematics, science, music, and physical education are of course taught, but morals is a separate subject complete with textbook and allocated time. It’s less of a time to state what kids should or shouldn’t do, but rather more of a period to facilitate discussion on moral dilemmas; how students would react to a given situation. There were never wrong or right answers, just time to talk about the black, white, and grey areas—just like real life.
School is compulsory until 15 years of age; however 99% of chūgakkō graduates enroll in high school to continue their studies. Those enrolled in public schools (untilchūgakkō) do not pay registration or school material fees. Families pay secondary costs such as meals and school trips. Whereas in the US there has been a heavy emphasis on graduating high school and moving on to an academic University, in Japan it’s less taboo to enroll in institutes specializing in agricultural, industrial, or technical training.
Life at school
School life is packed. Students attend classes from Monday to Friday, with additional half days every two Saturdays. On top of that, many students choose (probably sometimes involuntarily) to attend juku (cram school/after school classes, 塾) in order to study for entrance exams or get a better handle on specific subjects like English. Those who don’t attend juku participate in after school clubs and activities, such as baseball, volleyball, kendo, or any number of sports.
There are no janitors in Japanese schools. Students divide into teams to tackle all manners of keeping their school clean. Some mop the floors (or team up with rags and run across the floor in lines), some wipe the chalkboards, some sweep, and others weed the gardens. It’s an amazing team building activity, having the kids keep each other accountable for their own school and all working together to get it done. I found it an especially rewarding activity in my schools, running across floors pushing rags and sweating through my work clothes. It helped me build a bond with my kids and let me see a less serious side of how they interacted with eachother.
Then there are huge festivals! On top of all this, kids prepare for sports festivals, culture festivals, exhibitions, plays, and song celebrations. All of these practice times are usually done on the students’ own time after school, so you can see how this all comes together to make a packed schedule.
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