Japan is a unique state. It is one of the leading countries in industrial and economic development. One can also envy the standard of living.
How do they study in Japanese schools? This question is very interesting. After all, their form of education is very different from the domestic one. Education in Japan begins on the first day of the blossoming of the national symbol - sakura, in April. Children from the age of 3 begin to go to kindergartens, where they are taught the basics of hiragana and katakana. These are the Japanese alphabets by which children learn to write and read. When entering school, children are required to be able to count.
Studying in Japanese schools is only in some elements similar to visiting Russian educational institutions. First of all, these are gradations. In Japan, as in Russia, there are several types of programs. Studying in primary and secondary schools is considered a mandatory stage of the educational process. There is no need to pay for training here.
Not all Japanese children attend high school, but only those who plan to go to university in the future. Plus, studying here is free of charge. The names of Japanese schools are of great interest. Educational institutions are not assigned a serial number. They are named according to the area in which they are located. For example, Yuho High School (Hokkaido Prefecture), Akita City School, Tochigi Prefecture Elementary School, Shiga Prefecture Squid School, Gifu Crab School, Yamaguchi Prefecture Elementary School and many others.
Japanese elementary school
To enter junior school, Japanese kids take exams. If someone fails the test, they can go to prep school. Here teachers will do everything so that the child can pass the exam next year.
The junior Japanese school is called "segakko". Education here lasts 6 years. The school year lasts three semesters. Just like in Russia, Japanese kids are looking forward to the holidays. When the cherry blossoms first bloom, children begin a new school year.
In lessons, children study natural sciences. These are physics, chemistry, biology, arithmetic, native language, drawing, musical art, physical education and home economics. In primary school, students attend 3-4 lessons daily. Since Japan's population is really high, there can be up to 45 people in a class.
During their time at school, children must learn 3,000 hieroglyphic characters. Of these, 1800 should be known already in primary school. This is the only way to learn to read. Each syllable of the alphabet has two ways of reading and a pair of meanings. In elementary school, students must learn the correct Japanese characters, Chinese alphabet, and Latin alphabet. For teachers, the main task is not teaching children general subjects, but character education, which is called “kokoro”. This unusual word is translated as “mentality”, “heart”, “soul”, “humanism” and “mind”.
The school day most often begins around 9 am. In the morning, classes in a Japanese school are overcrowded. Most often, educational institutions do not use national textbooks. As a rule, the school itself chooses which books to study from. Homework is not given in elementary school. There is also no uniform required; children can wear casual clothing. In many educational institutions, there are no partitions between classrooms and corridors. It is believed that this measure allows the children to adhere to discipline.
After the second lesson there is a big lunch break. Each student must carry chopsticks and spoons with them. Typically, a case for these supplies will be provided on the first day of training. And the kids definitely need to have small tablecloths with them, they are called “lunch mats.”
And to be more precise?
For more information, please refer to the Japanese school year calendar.
- First semester: April 6 - July 20.
- Summer holidays: July 21 - August 31.
- Second semester: September 1 - December 24.
- Winter holidays: December 25 - January 6.
- Third semester: January 7 - March 25.
- Spring break: March 26 - April 5.
The time when the school year begins in Japan may vary. Much depends on the educational institution. In the country, of course, there are general recommendations regarding the organization of the educational process, and schools take into account the instructions of the Ministry of Education, but each makes its own adjustments to them. In some schools, classes begin on April 1 or end on March 31.
Requirements for Segakko Junior School
The Japanese school sets strict rules for students. Huge demands are placed on hairstyles. Boys should definitely cut their hair. No Japanese children in elementary school are allowed to dye their hair. Only natural color is welcome - black.
Some schools impose bans on girls. You cannot wear curls or curl your hair, wear jewelry or paint your nails, or wear makeup. There is also a rule to wear only white, black or blue socks. If a student wears gray socks, he may not be allowed to attend classes at a Japanese school.
You are also not allowed to carry food, candy, and sometimes medicine. For example, throat candy is considered a snack and is therefore prohibited from being taken to an educational institution.
Curious facts
One of the symbols of the Japanese school is the school uniform in the form of classic jackets for boys and those same “sailor fuku” (sailor suits) for girls. Each school has its own colors and uniform design features. Interestingly, changing uniforms from winter to summer and vice versa is regulated by the school charter and is usually carried out in May and October, regardless of the weather.
One of the goals of education in Asia is considered to be to increase the level of discipline and independence, so all responsibilities for cleaning classrooms and school grounds fall on the students themselves; no technicians or cleaners are provided in schools. Even elite private schools follow this tradition.
Unlike Russian schools, where students move from one classroom to another between lessons, in Japan each classroom is assigned a separate room, so teachers have to move around the school. When the teacher enters the office, the entire class stands and makes a ceremonial bow.
Even the youngest schoolchildren get to their place of study on their own, without the help of their parents. To organize their movement and prevent accidents, municipal authorities create special routes called “tsugakuro”. They are sections of the road marked with green stickers, special markings and other signs.
Typically, sections of main roads equipped with pedestrian crossings, fences, traffic lights and other safety features are selected for tsugakuro. This makes it possible to organize the movement of children in such a way as to avoid the dangerous narrow streets of Japanese cities.
Students living in the same area prefer to independently unite into groups, which are usually called “khan”. Many educational institutions organize the movement of children in such groups.
Schoolchildren from villages get to their place of study on intercity trains, the schedule and routes of which are drawn up taking into account the school schedule.
Most schools do not have canteens; children have lunch in their classrooms. Some institutions provide students with meals, which are distributed to classes during lunch breaks, but often children have to take lunch from home in traditional lunch boxes (bento). The duration of the lunch break is 1 hour.
Additional studies for Japanese students
The Japanese do not forget about studying during the holidays. The guys do their homework and attend extra clubs. It is very common in Japanese schools to attend various interest clubs. These include sports sections and cultural clubs. Teachers encourage students who attend such electives. After school, the children meet in a certain class and are given additional classes. More boys attend sports clubs, but girls can also go to football, rugby, swimming, athletics, kendo, and basketball. Cultural clubs include calligraphy, science and arithmetic.
Children who study in middle and high schools usually take additional courses after classes. Thanks to such additional lessons, students can gain knowledge for entering university. Everyone can attend private juku schools and ebikoo preparatory courses. Due to the fact that these classes take place after school, in Japan you can often see kids with backpacks in the evening. Students can attend additional courses on Sunday, since Saturday is considered a working day for them. The educational process in Japan is massive.
Knowledge is above all
In the Land of the Rising Sun, education is one of the main goals in life. It is the level of knowledge that determines a person’s future. It is worth noting that the main purpose of the education system in Japan has remained virtually unchanged since the 6th century.
Yes, after the end of the war (in the second half of the twentieth century), it was influenced by European and American education systems, but the Japanese decided not to stray far from previous traditions. In recent years, a proposal has been made several times to change the start date of the school year in Japan so that children, like in many other countries around the world, start studying in September, but no one supported it.
Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun begin to comprehend literacy almost from the cradle. First, parents instill in them the rules of good manners, manners, and teach them to count. Later, the child goes to kindergarten, where he is taught the basic syllabaries: hiragana and katakana. Coming to the first grade of elementary school, students begin to learn kanji - hieroglyphs.
The workload in educational institutions is really heavy. You should especially be afraid of intermediate and final tests. If you compare, Russian schoolchildren are not very worried about tests, but for the Japanese, the mere mention of tests causes nervous trembling. Every Japanese student understands that the score he scores on the test determines which middle and high school he will be accepted into.
It’s the same with studying at universities and colleges. Many companies and firms cooperate directly with educational institutions and offer jobs to the best students after graduation. By the way, to get a good place, students must excel not only academically, but in social and cultural activities.
Japanese secondary school
In a Japanese secondary school, children usually move to another building. It is rare that schools can be combined into one building. Secondary school is education from 7th to 9th grade. The number of lessons increases to seven, they last 50 minutes. In high school, students begin to take exams. Usually preparation takes up the most time for the guys. The exam is taken in the form of a test on a 100-point scale. In total, Japanese schoolchildren can take 5 tests during the school year. In order to thoroughly prepare for exams, the educational institution cancels clubs and additional electives a week in advance.
Secondary school students study the same sciences as in primary school. The humanities are added: geography, history and social studies, geology, English, religious studies, secular ethics and valeology. Class hours are also held, which are devoted to studying the history of the native land, pacifism and discussing or organizing school events. In high school, children are required to wear a special uniform.
To first grade
At the age of six, the child enters primary school. The majority of these institutions are public, but you can also find private ones. Subjects in primary school are native language, natural history, mathematics, music, labor, drawing, physical education. Several years ago, English was introduced as a compulsory language, which previously only began to be studied in high school. No homework is assigned.
In elementary school there are no clubs (interest groups), but many extracurricular activities are held, for example, sports festivals or theater performances. There is no school uniform as such in primary classes; students wear regular everyday clothes. An umbrella, a Panama hat and a yellow raincoat are required.
Practice abroad and excursion trips
Secondary school students can go on various excursions around the country and even abroad. So seventh graders go to neighboring cities to communicate with other children. Moreover, they can not only relax there, but also learn a craft, for example, weaving fans and baskets. High school students learn to canoe across a river. The oldest students are given the opportunity to travel abroad to practice English. After such trips, each class must provide a report on the practice or excursion in the form of a wall newspaper.
High school in Japan
In order to move to a high school school, Japanese students take entrance exams. Although Japanese high school is not compulsory, 94% of students attend it. Here the training lasts 3 years. Therefore, in total, all education in Japanese schools lasts 12 years, not 11.
Educational institutions are divided by specialization: humanities and natural sciences. At the school for older students, the study of ancient and modern languages is added. Additionally, children are taught subjects such as computer science, sociology, political science, crafts and design. Some schools may teach agronomy, industry, commerce and fishing.
Other educational institutions
So, how do you study in Japan? It all starts with preschools. There are two types:
- State child care institutions. They are designed for children from two years old, created to help a working mother raise a child. Usually parents teach children manners, but if they don’t have time to raise a child because of work, then this will be done in a primary school.
- Private kindergarten. Designed for older children. Here kids are taught to sing, draw, read and count. In more elite, and therefore more expensive, institutions, they study English. Therefore, children come to school fully prepared.
The main function of preschool institutions is also socialization, and not just acquiring knowledge. The children are shown how to properly establish contact with peers and generally behave in society. In order for a child to be able to get along in any group in kindergarten, and then in schools, the composition of classes is changed annually.
Features of Japanese schools
The mother takes an active part in preparing the child for school. She helps him with his homework and often visits school to talk to teachers about her child's progress. Since women do not work anywhere, but do housework, they pay enough attention to raising children. Women in Japan live with special rights. This also applies to girls who study in Japanese schools. They do not pay as much attention to educational subjects, but rather help around the house and try to learn a craft.
Attendance in schools reaches almost 100%. Japanese children take their education very seriously. The Japanese school also provided motivation for schoolchildren. If a student is sick or unable to come to school, he brings a certificate of illness. But he simply cannot receive a certificate of completion of the semester, because he must make up the missed lessons. And often such additional lessons with teachers are paid.
Juku
The school year in Japan is not just about school lessons and clubs. In the Land of the Rising Sun there are special private educational institutions that offer additional classes. In general, they are divided into two types:
- Non-academic. The child is taught art, the rules of the tea ceremony, traditional board games (Go, Shogi, etc.), or the student can attend some kind of sports section.
- Academic. Schoolchildren are taught various sciences, including foreign languages. Students usually come here who cannot master school material or have been absent from school for a long time. Also, those who want to successfully pass intermediate tests or entrance exams come here.
The reason for visiting such schools may be the number of people in the group (10-15 students). Naturally, information is better absorbed in such a small team. Students can also visit such institutions with friends. It is also worth noting that such schools are quite expensive, so not every family can afford them.
Japanese education
It’s not for nothing that Japan is considered the most developed country. Preparing for school and the educational process itself is very difficult for children. But the result is worth it. Teachers shape the child's knowledge and character, but they are very demanding. After graduating from school, students can go to university or get a job.
The names of Japanese schools are convenient because they can be used to determine the location of the educational institution. Typically, institutions are located near students' homes. Children who live far from school can use the bus or bicycle.
Every year, all Japanese schools hold a festival in September. This is a kind of open day. Parents and future students can visit several institutions to choose the best option. The teaching staff does everything to present the school in the best light.
