The Schools of Japan
As promised, a blog about Japanese schools (compared to American schools) by Hannah :)
If you've studied Japanese culture, you might know about how Japanese schools work. If you don't, keep reading. Obviously that's probably why you're here in the first place!
So Japanese schools have 12 grades, same as America, but they are divided up differently. 6 years are spent in elementary school, then 3 in junior high school (JHS) and 3 in senior high school (SHS). Whereas we use words like Junior or Senior to describe what year we are in high school, the Japanese senior high students are still referred to as year 1, 2 or 3.
From here, most of my information is regarding Japanese senior high schools as that is the level I work at. To start with, students must pass an entrance exam to get into SHS. Because of this, students have more of a choice in where they go for their last 3 years of school, and it can result in students commuting to school from nearby cities or towns. SHS is also not compulsory, so some students stop after JHS and get jobs rather than continuing their education. Students attend SHS because they want to (or because their parents want them to) and the majority of Japanese students go on to high school. The third year of SHS is spent almost entirely on preparing for university entrance exams, so their classes are more intense and there is more test drilling. SHSs also have guidance counselors, but rather than helping students figure out what they want to do with their lives as is the norm in America, the guidance counselors actively help students find jobs.
Because SHS is more like pre-college, there are different types of high schools. Firstly public schools are divided into three categories: national schools, which are attached to specific universities, municipal schools, which are in the more rural areas, and prefectural high schools, which are the most common. Then there are the private schools, which tend to be attached to elementary schools and JHSs as well.
Within all of those schools are further divisions. There is the basic high school, which is the most common. They teach the curriculum and vary from area to area. Then there's the high academic high schools. The students that attend here are much more advanced. The entrance exams are strict, and the main focus is on getting into university. Because of this, the teachers teach more from the books and there isn't as much flexibility in the curriculum. Next is the super science high schools, which also have strict entrance exams, but the students focus on math and science courses while also being able to take university level classes. Stepping back from all that are the vocational high schools. These are schools such as technical, commercial, agricultural, or maritime schools that focus on preparing students for specific jobs, and most do not go on to attend university. About 20% of students will enroll in a vocational school. Then comes the part-time high schools. When evening comes around, the normal day teachers will leave and the part-time night teachers will arrive. In addition to classes being held at night, most of the students attending here also have jobs during the day, and tend to be older. Finally we have the special needs high schools. There aren't many of these in Japan, but they are designed to help students with various disabilities, so the schools vary greatly depending on the disability they cater to, such as impaired hearing or vision. Classes tend to be very small so students get more individual time with the teachers.
Now a little something about the teachers. As in America, every city has a Board of Education that oversees the schools. The main difference is that, in Japan, the city BoE only oversees elementary schools and JHSs. Senior high schools are governed by the prefectural Board of Education. This means that teachers at SHS are actually employed by the prefecture. Because of this, teachers will get asked to move to any other city in their prefecture. From what I was told, teachers should expect to move when they get their first position. Then pretty much the maximum they will stay at a single school is 10 years, but closer to five years is more common. It should be noted that this is only for public schools. In private schools, teachers are employed under a private contract and are not expected to move.
My initial reaction was that this would be very difficult. You can't fully settle down because you could be asked to move at any point. But many teachers do it, and so I really admire those teachers who commit themselves to a job that is a little more unstable.
And that's about all I know! I hope that was an informative little bit for all of you!
If you've studied Japanese culture, you might know about how Japanese schools work. If you don't, keep reading. Obviously that's probably why you're here in the first place!
So Japanese schools have 12 grades, same as America, but they are divided up differently. 6 years are spent in elementary school, then 3 in junior high school (JHS) and 3 in senior high school (SHS). Whereas we use words like Junior or Senior to describe what year we are in high school, the Japanese senior high students are still referred to as year 1, 2 or 3.
From here, most of my information is regarding Japanese senior high schools as that is the level I work at. To start with, students must pass an entrance exam to get into SHS. Because of this, students have more of a choice in where they go for their last 3 years of school, and it can result in students commuting to school from nearby cities or towns. SHS is also not compulsory, so some students stop after JHS and get jobs rather than continuing their education. Students attend SHS because they want to (or because their parents want them to) and the majority of Japanese students go on to high school. The third year of SHS is spent almost entirely on preparing for university entrance exams, so their classes are more intense and there is more test drilling. SHSs also have guidance counselors, but rather than helping students figure out what they want to do with their lives as is the norm in America, the guidance counselors actively help students find jobs.
Because SHS is more like pre-college, there are different types of high schools. Firstly public schools are divided into three categories: national schools, which are attached to specific universities, municipal schools, which are in the more rural areas, and prefectural high schools, which are the most common. Then there are the private schools, which tend to be attached to elementary schools and JHSs as well.
Within all of those schools are further divisions. There is the basic high school, which is the most common. They teach the curriculum and vary from area to area. Then there's the high academic high schools. The students that attend here are much more advanced. The entrance exams are strict, and the main focus is on getting into university. Because of this, the teachers teach more from the books and there isn't as much flexibility in the curriculum. Next is the super science high schools, which also have strict entrance exams, but the students focus on math and science courses while also being able to take university level classes. Stepping back from all that are the vocational high schools. These are schools such as technical, commercial, agricultural, or maritime schools that focus on preparing students for specific jobs, and most do not go on to attend university. About 20% of students will enroll in a vocational school. Then comes the part-time high schools. When evening comes around, the normal day teachers will leave and the part-time night teachers will arrive. In addition to classes being held at night, most of the students attending here also have jobs during the day, and tend to be older. Finally we have the special needs high schools. There aren't many of these in Japan, but they are designed to help students with various disabilities, so the schools vary greatly depending on the disability they cater to, such as impaired hearing or vision. Classes tend to be very small so students get more individual time with the teachers.
Now a little something about the teachers. As in America, every city has a Board of Education that oversees the schools. The main difference is that, in Japan, the city BoE only oversees elementary schools and JHSs. Senior high schools are governed by the prefectural Board of Education. This means that teachers at SHS are actually employed by the prefecture. Because of this, teachers will get asked to move to any other city in their prefecture. From what I was told, teachers should expect to move when they get their first position. Then pretty much the maximum they will stay at a single school is 10 years, but closer to five years is more common. It should be noted that this is only for public schools. In private schools, teachers are employed under a private contract and are not expected to move.
My initial reaction was that this would be very difficult. You can't fully settle down because you could be asked to move at any point. But many teachers do it, and so I really admire those teachers who commit themselves to a job that is a little more unstable.
And that's about all I know! I hope that was an informative little bit for all of you!
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