The education system in Japan

EDUCATION SYSTEM IN JAPAN

21 MARZO 2023

DE STEFANO AURORA MASTRANGELO ROSALIA

Education system in Japan

The Japanese school system primarily consists of six-year elementary schools, three-year junior high schools and three-year high schools, followed by two-or-three-year junior colleges or four-year colleges. Compulsory education lasts for 9 years through elementary and junior high school. For physically or mentally challenged students, there is a system called “Special Needs Education” to support special students to develop their self-reliance and enhance their social participation.

School timetable

Public schools in Japan have classes five days a week, from Monday to Friday. There are also schools that have classes on Saturday. In junior high and high schools, there are six class periods each day, typically lasting 50 minutes for each. After classes, students clean the classrooms in shifts and then start their club activities. There are a variety of clubs such as cultural and sports ones.

Academic calendar

The school year begins in April and ends in March of the following year. Most schools adopt a three-semester system, with the first semester from April to August, the second semester from September to December, and the third semester from January to March. There is also a summer break (from the end of July to the end of August), a winter break (from the end of December to the beginning of January), and a spring break (from the end of March to the beginning of April).

Foreign languages and school clubs

English is a compulsory subject in junior high and high schools. In some high schools, apart from English, students are also allowed to take courses in Chinese, Korean, French, German, etc.

Student clubs are a characteristic part in Japan’s school education. There are numerous student clubs revolving around Japanese traditional sports and culture, such as judo, kendo (Japanese swordsmanship), sado (Japanese tea ceremony), kado (Japanese flower arrangement), shodo (Japanese calligraphy), etc.

Curiosities

As part of their education, students work in groups to clean school classrooms, halls and school grounds.

Many elementary schools assign weekly lunch duties to students where they prepare and serve lunch to their classmates.

THE PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS

100%

The percentage of enrolled in compulsory schools is 100 percent and zero percent is the illiteracy rate; despite the fact that high school is optional, the percentage of enrollment is 96 percent throughout the country, with a percentage approaching 100 in all major cities.

The percentage of pupils in compulsory schools

Negative aspects

1. Japanese students face enormous pressure to succeed academically, from their parents, teachers, and society. This pressure has led to behaviors such as school violence, cheating, suicide, and significant psychological harm. 2. Japan's education system has also been criticized for failing to foster independent thinkers with cultural and artistic sensibilities. Japanese students who attend schools overseas often find it difficult to adapt and compete in that environment due to a lack of international viewpoints. 3. There are also criticisms of the amount of free time given and allowed to students within their middle and high school careers, due to cram schooling, or Juku.

Positive aspects

1. As evidence of the success of its education system, Japan boasts a literacy rate of 99%, which ranks among the top globally. 2. Japanese students also tend to score near the top in internationally ranked math and science tests.

GENDER DESCRIPTION

AT SCHOOL

AT UNIVERSITES

In 2014,606 cases were reported of students having resorted to consultations for gender dysphoria, according to the Ministry of Education, which decided to issue a directive to encourage institutions to favor sexual minorities in clothes, in hairstyles and for the use of baths.

A survey has revealed quite embarrassing data about this: the best university in the Japanese capital hosts only one woman every five male students.

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