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Schooling in Japan emphasizes diligence, self-criticism and well organized study habits. The belief is ingrained in children that hard work and perseverance will yield success in life. Much of official school life is devoted to directly and indirectly teaching correct attitudes and moral values and developing character. At the same time, the academic achievement of Japanese students is extremely high by international standards. The majority of Japanese children begin their education with preschool, although it is not part of the official system. The official structure provides compulsory free schooling and a sound and balanced education to virtually all children from grade one to nine.
Upper-secondary school, grades ten through twelve, attracts about ninety-four percent of those who complete lower-secondary school. About one-third of all Japanese upper-secondary school graduates advance to post-secondary education. The types of post-secondary education may vary: four year colleges, junior colleges, special training schools, miscellaneous schools, and technical colleges. As in the United States, Tokyo's children begin their early education in the home.
Books, audio tapes, and television are the primary tools used in homes by parents. Preschool education provides the transition from home to formal schooling for nearly all children. Preschool helps the Japanese children to adjust to group oriented life and also to society. The preschools are usually staffed by young female junior college graduates, but are not part of the official school system.
In addition to preschools, Japan has a well developed system of daycare centers that provide almost identical instruction to the children. Education is compulsory and free for all school children from first to ninth grade. The school year begins on April 1 st and ends on March 31 st of the following year. The school year has a minimum of 210 days; the rest of the days in the school year are devoted to other school and sports activities and vacations. The children go to school five full days a week and one half day on Saturday. The nationally designed curriculum exposes students to a balanced, basic education.
The textbooks are free to all students. Also, almost all pupils have access to health professionals, playgrounds, gymnasiums, and swimming pools. Primary schooling in Japan is known for its equal educational treatment to all students. More than ninety-nine percent of elementary school age children are enrolled in school. All children enter first grade at the age of six. Starting school in Japan is considered a very important event in a child's life.
Virtually all elementary education takes place in public schools. Less than one percent of the schools are private. Although public schools are free, parents must pay for certain items: school lunches, supplies, extra books, and private lessons. The elementary school classes are quite large; 31 students on average per classroom.
Students are usually organized into small work groups which have both academic and disciplinary functions. Discipline is strictly maintained and a sense of responsibility is encouraged. The teachers in elementary schools are mostly women and are usually responsible for teaching all subjects. Most principals and head teachers, however, are men.
Japanese elementary schooling is acknowledged to be excellent, but not without some problems. Increasing absenteeism and bullying are two of the most troubling factors in the elementary school system. In Japan, lower-secondary school covers grades seven, eight and nine. The children are roughly between the ages of twelve and fifteen. The lower-secondary schools have an increased focus on academic studies.
Most of these schools are public; only five percent are private. Teachers in the lower-secondary schools are two thirds male. Each teacher is responsible for teaching only one subject. The average class size is somewhat larger than that of the elementary schools; 38 persons per classroom.
Instruction is mostly lecture, with the aide of computers, television, audio and video tapes, and laboratories. Bullying is also a major problem in the lower-secondary schools. It was rampant in the 1980 's but has decreased mildly in the recent past. Ninety-four percent of all lower-secondary school graduates enter into upper secondary schools.
The majority are still public institutions, however, an increased amount are privatized. At this level, public schooling is no longer free. The most common type of upper-secondary schools have fulltime, general programs that offer academic courses for students preparing for higher education. More than seventy percent of upper-secondary school students were enrolled in the general academic program in the late 1980 's. First year programs include basic academic courses, such as Japanese language, English, mathematics, and science.
It is at this level that academic differences are first acknowledged. In the second year, course content and selection is individualized, although a core content is maintained throughout all classes. Vocational-technical programs include several hundred specialized courses. These courses include information processing, navigation, fish farming, business English and ceramics. Business and industrial courses are the most popular, accounting for seventy-two percent of all full-time vocational programs in 1989. Most upper-secondary teachers are university graduates.
The schools at this level are organized into departments, and teachers specialize in the fields although they teach a variety of courses. Students in the upper-secondary schools are subject to a great deal of supervision by school authorities and school rules even outside of schools. Students' behavior and some activities are regulated by school codes that are known and obeyed by most students. School regulations often set curfews and govern dress codes, hairstyles, employment and even leisure activities. Some upper-secondary school graduates choose to go into the work force and are supported by a very effective system of job placement.
For those students who choose to go onto college, the final levels of school life are increasingly dedicated to learning and preparing for examinations. Japan also offers special education to students at the compulsory level. Special education was only mandated and implemented in 1979, but had become highly organized. There is controversy over whether children with special needs can or should be mainstreamed into society. The parents place their children in regular schools, but the children do not always attend regular classes. Some students attend both regular and special classes for training their particular needs.
For those special students who are not able to get to the classrooms, teachers make travel to their homes so that they get the needed education. Japan's school system also includes what they call "just." Just are special private schools that offer structured lessons conducted after regular school hours. Parents send their children to these schools to help them to improve their scores on upper-secondary entrance examinations. These schools have numerous functions: they provide supplementary education that many children need to help them keep up with their regular school work, remedial education for those children that fall behind in their work, and preparation for students striving to improve test scores on entrance exams. Most parents make it a priority to be able to send their children to Just.
If the money is not there, they fit it into their budget. Children also seem to value going to Just, mainly for the social reasons and getting a chance to be closer to peers. Other children also appreciate the close attention from teachers. College entrance is based largely on the scores that students achieved in entrance examinations. Students applying to national universities take two entrance exams, first a nationally administered uniform achievement test and then an examination administered by the university that the student hopes to enter. Those going to private universities must only take the latter examination.
Students cannot compete successfully for admission to the college of their choice because of so many applicants. At this level, students may choose to attend yo biko. Yobiko is a preparation for entrance examinations to college, similar to just. The cost of yo biko is extremely high comparable to first year university expenses. This preparation includes several practice examinations that are intended to assist the students in bettering their test scores. In 1991, more than 2. 1 million students were enrolled in Japan's 507 universities.
The University is the highest level of education in Japan. These institutions provide four year training that leads to a bachelor's degree. Some universities also offer six year programs which lead to a professional degree. The majority of the students at this level attend full-time day programs. In 1990, the most popular courses were business, law, accounting, and engineering. The average costs for a year of higher education in 1986 was about 10, 000 U.
S. dollars. Parents only pay about twenty percent of the tuition. To help in the payment of tuition, students work part-time or often borrow money through the Japan Scholarship Association, a government supported program.
In 1991, women accounted for about twenty-seven percent of students enrolled in universities with that number slowly increasing. Junior colleges in Japan are mainly private institutions. As of the early 1990 's, more than ninety percent of the students enrolled in these schools are women. Junior colleges provide women with social credentials as well as education and some career opportunities. These colleges frequently emphasize home economics, nursing, and teaching. Advanced courses in special training schools require upper-secondary school completion.
These types of schools offer training in specific skills, such as computer science and vocational training. Training schools have mostly men in their student body. Some students attend these schools in addition to attending a university. Others go to qualify for technical licenses or certifications. The prestige of special training schools is less than that of a university, but graduates are able to obtain employment in the job market. In 1991 there were about 3, 400 predominately private miscellaneous schools whose attendance did not require upper-secondary school graduation.
Miscellaneous schools offer a variety of courses in such programs as medical treatment, education, social welfare, and hygiene. Most technical colleges are national institutions established to train highly skilled technicians in five year programs in a number of fields. Sixty-two technical colleges have been operating in Japan since the early 1960 's. About ten percent of technical college graduates transfer to universities as third year students. The remainder of the students go out into the workforce with the newly learned skills. Internationally, Japan is known for its success in schooling its children.
The school system is set up in such a way that students must actively participate and master the techniques taught in all grade levels. Other countries should look to Japan when evaluating their school systems. Students are taught academics, but are also taught discipline; all countries should have a system like this in place for students. Bibliography:
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