User:Galina Kim

= Introduction = Education is a fundamental pillar of growth for human beings all around the world. Every country has its own methods in teaching and raising children in order to become a part of their unique culture and the Japanese education system is no different. In the Land of the Rising Sun, schoolchildren are not allowed to bring food or even certain types of medications, such as ordinary sore throat sweets, which are considered a complete snack.

In primary and secondary schools for children, special lunches are prepared, and the menus of which are developed not only by cooks, but also by medical workers, so that the food is as healthy as possible.

How the Japanese education system works
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.

In general, the United States divides education into


 * Pre-school (3-5 years old)
 * Kindergarten (5-6 years old)
 * Elementary school
 * Middle/Junior High School
 * High School
 * College/University/Vocational School

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 about telling  kids what they should or shouldn’t do, but rather to facilitate discussion on moral dilemmas. Additionally, it looks at 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 middle school graduates enrol in high school to continue their studies. Those enrolled in public schools (until chūgakkō) do not pay registration or school material fees. Families pay secondary costs such as meals and school trips. Unlike in the US, in Japan it’s less taboo to enrol in institutes specialising in agricultural, industrial, or technical training.

Exams
Testing—specifically entrance exams—is its own world in Japan. Students wishing to move up into junior high schools, high schools, or universities, must pass grueling entrance exams. So grueling, in fact, that they’re dubbed exam hell (shiken jigoku, 試験地獄). These tests take an endless number of sleepless nights to study for, with students often sitting in cram schools after regular classes in order to try and get a leg up on the test.

I remember seeing my junior high school students studying for high school entrance exams and they were never around during these times. Many students began studying for these exams during their second year of junior high school. This meant about two years of studying just to get into the high school they wanted.

University is just as difficult. Selection requirements are often so difficult that only about 56% of students pass on their first try. Those who fail become ronin (samurai without a master, 浪人) and must study for an entire year on their own in order to try for next year’s test.

Times, however, are changing. As foreign companies enter Japan and bring in their own work cultures, the strict test-results-only standard is slowly morphing. Western culture looks more at skills, experience, and personality on top of good schools. As these businesses enter Japanese society, the Japanese education system evolves.

Gakureki shakai
It’s no wonder that around the world the Japanese education system is recognised as one of the best. In addition to academics, schools also seek to teach morals to the young in an effort to raise well rounded, good human beings.

Japan boasts a solid educational system but it can revolve too narrowly around school and tests. This is known as gakureki shakai (学歴社会). Competition between students to enter high schools and universities is so high that kids sometimes spend a majority of their time studying in order to get on the right track for the right school. Sometimes students break down, burn out and drop out. Some face bullying for not getting into good schools. Some even withdraw from society, too taxed mentally to face the hurdles of life and education. Nowadays, though, more is being done to create a school system that puts less pressure on students.

In any case, the system must be doing something right. Japanese society has strong educational values that have created a very beautiful, intelligent society.

= Education reforms = Past and Present

Education reform in Japan is not new. Western education systems came to influence Japanese education shortly after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, which transferred effective political power from the Tokugawa shogunate to the emperor, ushering in an era of modernization across all sectors of Japanese society. In 1872, Japan’s newly established Ministry of Education adopted from the American school system the three-tier elementary, secondary, and university structure, and from the French, strong administrative centralization. A group of newly established Imperial Universities took on certain aspects of the German university model. Despite those early international influences, domestic resistance to outsiders quickly followed, intensifying sharply during World War II.

But following Japan’s surrender in 1945, foreign influence on the educational system resumed, with all national reform and revitalization efforts falling under the aegis of the occupying Allied powers, led largely by the U.S. Of all the areas identified for reform, Allied personnel and the newly installed Japanese cabinet considered educational reform to be the most important, expecting it to play a principal role in channeling the thoughts and beliefs of the Japanese people in a more liberal and democratic direction. In 1946, the Educational Reform Committee laid out what would remain the core issues for Japanese education ministers until well after the years of occupation. The committee identified three issues as top priorities: the decentralization of educational administration, the democratization of educational access, and the reform of the educational curriculum.

Although occupation ended in 1952, it was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that Japan’s economic slowdown and growing integration in the global economy solidified these priorities as essential cornerstones of Japanese policy and national identity. The unexpected economic decline made it clear to Japanese policymakers that remaining competitive on the global stage would require a highly skilled and educated workforce, able to increase worker productivity and drive technological innovation. In response, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) stepped up its reform efforts, focusing on democratization, decentralization, and internationalization with the goal of developing a new generation of globalized and resilient Japanese youth. As occurred at earlier stages in the country’s history, these reforms have sought to balance modernization with respect for tradition. Current reforms are shaped both by an openness to ideas found in the educational systems of other countries and a deep respect for long-held values and principles, especially those of societal honor, communal harmony, and self-sacrifice.

While the reforms have produced some positive results for Japan, they are not without their shortcomings. The OECD’s 2018 report, Education Policy in Japan: Building Bridges towards 2030, warns that the reforms, though well regulated and well-intentioned, risk being “adopted only as superficial change.” The content and success of these reforms will occupy much of the discussion below.

= Structure of Education System in Japan = In the world of knowledge based communities and speedy Globalisation, there is an increasing need of quality education system. Japanese education system has been emerged as a well developed and quality education provider.

Japan is basically a technological country, so the teaching methodology is a techno-nihilist form of education. The curriculum is designed in such a way that the children develop motor skills early on. While school is mandatory till the child reaches the secondary level, there are multiple systems with local variations to promote higher education. Vocational education is systematically planned to keep the students at par with the global standards.

The structure of education system in Japan includes preschool, primary, lower secondary, higher secondary and college/university. Admission to all levels of education requires passing of entrance exams. There are entrance exams for students entering preschool, primary, lower secondary, higher secondary, and colleges/universities. The most essential tests are those given for entrance to the higher secondary schools and the universities. Both public and private high schools in Japan require such tests and usually test the main five fields: Japanese, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

Pre-primary Education
Pre-Primary Education is provided either through a kindergarten/play school, which is an educational institution, or through a day-care centre, which is a kind of well being institution as defined by the Child Welfare Law. These institutions are proposed to develop the cognitive skills of kids from age one to five and therefore, to prepare them for the six years of compulsory elementary level of education.

Most of the schools providing pre-primary education are of private funding. Few public or government funded pre-primary schools are also there.

Primary Education (Elementary Education)
Elementary education in Japan begins at the age of 6 and is mandatory for children to attend school for this  period. years. Lower secondary education is the final stage of mandatory education and caters to students from 12 to 15 years of age.

Education in elementary school consisting grades one to six. Elementary teachers are usually responsible for all subjects, and classes remain in a single room for maximum activities. All the teachers and professors are very well prepared.

There are both private and public schools for elementary level of education. Almost 100% students from pre-primary schools go for elementary education.

Lower-Secondary Education (Junior High School)
Lower-Secondary Education covers grades seven, eight, and nine- children from the ages of roughly twelve to fifteen--with special focus on academic studies.

Lower Secondary level of education is not compulsory in Japan, but almost 96% of students from primary level do go for secondary level. The public schools for secondary education are more, as compared to private schools in Japan. Also, the private schools are more expensive than public schools.

At the lower secondary school, a teacher is assigned to teach one specific subject. Subjects covered in secondary level of education are mathematics, science, social studies, art and crafts, English, health, fine arts, physical education, music and other foreign languages too. Since 2011, English has been made compulsory in the school curriculum. So, many native English speakers are being hired to improve the standard of English Education in schools in Japan.

Some teachers are allotted to take the responsibilities for the classroom along with teaching a specific subject. Generally, the class-assigned teacher is responsible for providing students academic and career guidance. Also, it is her responsibility to prepare documents and academic records of students such as report cards, teaching-learning record (Shido-Yoroku), dossiers, etc. Of late, however, in maximum cases experts take over the task of providing career guidance.

In addition, school also covers the extra-curricular activities like sports, moral studies and industrial arts.

Upper-Secondary Education (Senior High School)
Even though upper-secondary education is not compulsory in Japan, but almost 94-96% of students passed from junior high school go for senior high school education. It is again three years of education. More than 50% schools providing senior high school level of education are of private funding.

The curriculum includes basic subjects like Mathematics, Science, English and Japanese. In the later years of high school education some vocational and technical courses are also included in the curriculum. Courses like business, fish farming, information processing, accounting and computers are quite popular among students.

Upper-Secondary schools are structured into departments, and teachers specialize in their fields arena although they teach diverse courses within their disciplines. They are generally University Graduates. They work with the goal of covering all the aspects of the subject elected by a student within the academic year. Special training of technical courses are given to students with disability, thereby making them independent enough to survive on their own means.

University/Higher Level of Education
In the age of knowledge-based society and enduring globalisation, higher education institutions play indispensable roles. Under such circumstances, Japanese higher level of education has been highly treasured. There are more than 700 Universities all over in Japan. Normally, three to four year of university education makes a student graduate in Bachelor’s degree. Also, there are some professional degree/diploma courses spanning 5 to 6 years of education. Most popular subjects among students in Japan are Business Management, Accounting, Engineering, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences.

In Japan, public universities enjoy better prestige than their private counterparts and only about 27 percent students manage to get admission in public universities. The tuition fee of Private universities is manifold as compared to a Public varsity so, students opt for correspondence and distance courses along with a part time job.

= Academic Grading System in Japan = The academic evaluation technique in Japan is highly methodical. Constant attention is juxtaposed between the highs and lows candidate’s. The marking system is simplistic, for the parents to follow. As and when the student reaches the higher realms of education, he is introduced to an elaborate marking set up.

The performance based grading system in Japanese education varies from school to school and university to university. The most common pattern of grading is done into percentages or into grades like A, B, C, D, E. Each grade denotes certain range of percentage.

Grading Scales
School education in Japan is comprises: The elementary level education of 6 years and secondary education of 3 years is compulsory for all children in Japan. Exam pattern for elementary, secondary and high school are more or less the same. But till middle level of education i.e., till secondary school, all the students are passed in the exam. None of the students are failed or kept behind in the same class. All students are promoted to the next class irrespective of how they had performed in the examination or whatever grades they have scored.
 * Elementary Level Education
 * Secondary Education
 * High School Education

All the academic activities and studies are taught to the students of elementary and secondary schools and all students are made to sit for an exam. But even if anybody fails that student is promoted to the next class, whatever is the performance in the test or exam.

But it is again compulsory that every student has to take all the exams sincerely as these exams build a base for upcoming entrance exams, which they have to get through the same in order to get acceptance in a high school. These days, parents are more concerned getting their kids admitted in reputed schools. They even send their kids to private institutes for making them well prepared for entrance exams. Such institutions or organizations are known as Juku. For assessment of college or university students, grading system is on 5 scales i.e. A, S, B, C and F. If any student fails in any subject at degree level or postgraduate level, then he/she has to take the exam of same subject again in the following semester

4-Scale University

This grading system is for the assessment of the performance of the students as well as for encouraging poor and bright students. The grading system brings fluidity within the education system and facilitates better learning environment. Even if any candidate fails to pass the exam, few more attempts are given to clear the exams and get qualified for the entitlement of the degree.

The grading system has eliminated unhealthy competition among high achievers. It has also helped students to become more confident and reduce exam phobia. But, the only negative concern about the whole grading system is that the meritorious candidates feel disregarded for their hard work.

Nevertheless, the grading system is buoyant and presents a scope for improvement in performance of students in future qualifying examinations.