EDUCATION IN JAPAN

Teacher (Sensei): Kiostuke de! Students (Gakusei): ALL RISE FOR A GREETING  Teacher (Sensei): Kiostuke de! Students (Gakusei): (bow) Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu! Teacher: Hai! Osuwari deshita (You may take your seats.)

• Children who have their 6th birthday on or before April 1 enter the first grade of elementary school of that year. • School year starts in April and ends in March. • For Japanese nationals, six years at elementary school and three years at junior high school (total nine years) are compulsory.

Elementary and junior high school Since education at elementary school and junior high school is compulsory for Japanese nationals, households with a child who starts school in the coming April receive a notice regarding school enrollment from the municipal office (city hall) of their area of residence by the end of January. After receiving the notice, they should begin necessary preparation for enrollment according to the notice.

If you are a foreign resident and wish to have your child educated at a Japanese public school, you need to apply for permission to enroll your child. If you make an application for permission in advance, you should receive the above notice so that you can take it along with the child's resident card to the municipal office as part of the necessary paperwork.

Most schools operate on a three-term system with new school years starting every April. Except for the lower grades of elementary school, an average school day on weekdays lasts for 6 hours, making it one of the longest school days in the world. Even after the school ends, children still have drills and other homework to keep them busy. Vacations are 6 weeks long during summer break and about 2 weeks long during both in winter and spring breaks. There is often homework during these vacations.

Most public elementary/junior high schools require no admission exam. Irrespective of nationality, several public junior high schools offer evening classes for persons aged 16 or older who live or work in Tokyo. Such classes are designed to cater to both persons who were unable to graduate from institutions such as elementary or junior high school in their home country, as well as individuals whose circumstances prevented them from receiving a sufficient junior high school education.

FUN FACT: Did you know that, according to the newest study, children from Japan lead the world in numeracy and literacy skills? So, what makes the approach of Japanese school system so unique and different from the rest of the world, and more importantly, what can we learn from it?

How fast can you multiply 21 times 13. One minute, probably How fast can you multiply 21 times 13? One minute, probably. And, what about 123 times 321? More than one, for sure. Well, Japanese children do it in no time, with a help of several lines. Any kid can do that, even a five year old. They don’t learn numbers by heart. Instead, they draw and play. You wonder how can it be? This is because teaching in this country is about the quality of lessons, not quantity.

High school, university and graduate school (Kosen) not compulsory and therefore requires the passing of an admission exam to enter. High schools generally offer a three-year program, which Evening high schools and correspondence courses offer programs for more them three years.

TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOLS General academic high school Specialized high school Evening High schools

Those who do not hold a high school diploma need to take and pass a qualification test (commonly known as daiken) to be eligible for universities' admission exams. High school graduates are entitled to take admission exams to junior colleges and universities.

Junior colleges offer a two-year program, while universities offer a four-year program. Junior college/technology college graduates may transfer to a four-year university course as a junior student. University graduates who wish to further study in their specialized area may choose to continue their education to graduate school. Master's programs offered at graduate schools are usually a two-year course.

FUN FACTS! Math is also a type of a language, so why wouldn’t we approach it as if we were learning English, Japanese or social studies? The Japanese say that if you teach what you learn, you will remember about 90 percent. If teachers stand at the board and just lecture, through mere listening, the students will retain far less — say, 40 percent — so it’s far more effective to have them discussing problems and teaching each other. Also, it’s important to have very little downtime or rest time and to constantly keep them motivated.