Japan’s

Educational System

Preschool and Day Care

Predominantly staffed by young female junior college graduates and supervised by the Ministry of Education, but are not part of the official education system.

A well-developed system of government-supervised day-care centers

(hoikuen) is supervised by the Ministry of Labor.

Elementary All children enter first grade at age

six. Public elementary education is free. Elementary school classes are large at

about thirty-one students per class on average but higher numbers are permitted.

Students are usually organized into small work groups, which have both academic and disciplinary functions.

Elementary The ministry’s course of study is

composed of a wide variety of subjects, both academic and nonacademic, including moral education and special activities.

The standard academic curriculum include Japanese language, social studies, arithmetic, and science. Nonacademic subjects taught include art and handicrafts, music, physical

education, and moral education.

Elementary Elementary teachers are generally

responsible for all subjects, and classes remain in one room for most activities. They have ample teaching materials and audiovisual equipment.

Elementary school children receive a full lunch at school.

Instruction in junior high schools tends to rely on the lecture method.

Classes are large, with thirty-eight students per class on average.

The teacher rather than the students, moves to a new room for each fifty or forty-five minute period.

The school year begins in April and classes are held from Monday to

either Friday or Saturday, depending on the school.

Junior High School

The school year consists of two or three terms, which are separated by short holidays in spring and winter, and a six-week-long summer break.

Most students also participate in one of a range of school clubs that occupy them until around 6pm most weekdays (including weekends and often

before school as well), as part of an effort to address juvenile delinquency.

Junior High School

Junior High SchoolLEARNING AREAS

Academic Others - Mathematics - Industrial arts - Science - Homemaking - Languages - Moral Studies - Social Studies - Music - Fine Arts - Physical Education

Japan PhilippinesLanguages (English & Japanese Languages)

Languages (Mother Tongue, Filipino & English)

Music, Fine Arts & Physical Education

MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education & Health)

Social Studies Araling Panlipunan

Science Science

Moral Studies Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao

Industrial ArtsT.L.E.

Homemaking

Senior High School The most common type of upper-

secondary school has a full-time, general program that offered academic courses for students preparing for higher education as well as technical and vocational courses.

A small number of schools offer part-time programs, evening courses, or correspondence education.

Teachers specialize in their major fields although they teach a variety of courses within their disciplines.

Senior High School Teaching depends largely on the lecture

system, with the main goal of covering the very demanding curriculum in the time allotted.

Approach and subject coverage tends to be uniform, at least in the public schools.

Training of disabled students, emphasizes vocational education

to enable students to be as independent as possible within society.

Junior High SchoolLEARNING AREASAcademic Tech-Voc Courses (1st year) (2nd year-3rd year) - Mathematics - Information processing - Science - Navigation - Languages - Fish farming - Physical - BusinessEducation - English

In 2010, more than 2-8 students enrolled in Japan’s 778 universities.

At the top of the higher education structure, these institutions provide

- 4 years training leading to bachelors degree- 6 years programs leading to a

professional degree

Universities

Two types of public 4 year colleges- the 86 national universities (including the open universities- 95 local public universities which are founded by prefectures and

municipalities The 597 remaining 4 year colleges in 2010 were private.

Universities

Popular courses- social sciences - engineering- business - humanities- law - education- accounting

To help defray expenses, students frequently work part times or borrow money through

the government supported Japan Scholarship Association, local government, non profit corporations and other institutions.

Universities

The quality of universities and higher education in Japan is internationally recognized. There are 11 Japanese universities in the 2006 TNES-QS World University Rankings.

Examples: University of Tokyo- 19th

Kyoto University- 23th In 2010 the QS ASIA University Rankings top 20 included eight Japanese universities like the University of Tokyo again.

Universities

Out of the top 100 Asian universities in 2011’s Times Higher Education-QS World University Ratings, 33 were Japanese.

Mainly private institutions Legacy of the occupation period More than 90% of the students in junior colleges are women. Higher education for women is still largely perceived as preparation for marriage or for a short-term career before marriage.

Universities

JUNIOR COLLEGES

UniversitiesJUNIOR COLLEGES

SPECIAL TRAINING SCHOOLS

Junior colleges provide women with social credentials as well as education and some career opportunities.

These colleges frequently emphasize home economics, nursing, teaching, humanities, and social sciences in their curricula.

Advanced courses in vocational special training schools require upper secondary school completion.

UniversitiesSPECIAL TRAINING SCHOOLS Offer training in specific skills such as:

- computer science- vocational training- large number of men enrollees

Some students attend these schools in addition to attending university.

Others go to quality for technical licenses or professional certification. The prestige of special training schools is lower than that of universities, but graduates, particularly in technical areas, are readily absorbed by the job market.

UniversitiesCOLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY Most of these schools are national

institutions established to train highly technicians in fire year programs in a number of fields, including the merchant marine.

About 10% of college graduates transfer to universities as third year students. These colleges are unique in that they

accept students after 3 years of secondary school (grade 9 in the North American system or 10 in the British system).

UniversitiesCOLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY The five year program includes a general

education at the beginning and then becomes highly specialized.

The Japanese Ministry of Education, culture, sports, science and technology indicated

that the Colleges of Technology are leaders in the use of internships, with more than 90% of institutions offering this opportunity compared to 46% of universities and 24% of junior colleges.

ArigatouGozaimasu