Japan
History and Education
History of Japanese Education
-Rapid population growth after WWII
-Because of high population, junior high school classes exceeded 50 students--now need to be kept under 40
-Modern Education System Started in 1872
-Like French School System, school began in April and ended in March of the following year (height of spring of cherry blossom: new beginnings)
-Average school day: 6 hours (one of the longest school days in the world)
-Children have drills and homework to keep them busy
-Vacation: 6 weeks in the summer, 2 weeks for Winter and Spring
All Japanese Schools
-Japanese observe group/community based norms (culture, learning, etc.)
-Before WWII: 6-5-3-3 System: 6 years elementary, 5 years, junior high, 3 years high school, 3 years university
-After WWII: 6-3-3-4 System: 6 years elementary, 3 years junior high, 3 years high school, 4 years university
-100% Enrollment in compulsory grades (elementary+3years of junior high): children are accepted at any time during year, no one pays tuition or for text books, grouped by age (no skipping grades)
-High School Drop Out Rate: 2%
-100% Literacy Rate
-240 day long school year
-All students participate in the cleaning of the school at the end of the day
Ministry of Education supervises all educational aspects of Japan: Maintains a uniform level of education throughout the whole country, creates a high standard of education
Types of Schools
Elementary School
-Compulsory
-Begin 1st grade in April after they turn 6
-Kindergarten is growing increasingly popular, not mandatory
-30-40 students in typical elementary school class
-Subjects: Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, home economics
-More elementary schools have been teaching English
-Starting to use technology/have access to the internet
-Students learn traditional Japanese arts (shodo and haiku)
-Classrooms: divided into small teams for mini activities
-Many school events: sports days, field trips, arts and cultural festivals
Junior High
-Coming of age socially and academically
-Single poster (cleaning schedule/agenda): minimal distractions
-Very similar to high school
High School
-Application/entrance exams required for high school (ranked similarly to colleges)
-Drop out rate: 2% (currently increasing)-46% of all graduates attend university
-Classes start at 8:30 AM
-50 minute classes
-University entrance exams: one word answers: one right answer, one way to get it
-Drill and memorization
-End of winter: Examination Hell: Make it or break it: decides their future
University
Enrollment
-Pass Japanese Language Proficiency Test: 4 levels, 3 areas: vocabulary and kanji, listening and reading, grammar
-Technical schools are available
Teacher Professionalism
-Teachers to be concerned with students lives both in and out of schools
-Efforts and influence extend into the community and home
-Japanese culture views school as moral community and a basic training ground for becoming a good citizen
-Teachers have the responsibility for moral education and character development as well as instilling Japanese values, attitudes and norms in all students at all levels
-Equal in importance to academic role
-Salary of teachers is now higher than of other public employees (compares favorably to the private sector)