Schools

         Japanese schools reflect both the traditional and modern aspects of the country. In a country where temples and shrines abound, visitors still see schools outwardly exhibiting conformity in the daily structures. Students can be found walking to school or riding their bikes wearing their school uniforms and carrying their backpacks. Teachers greet students as they arrive each morning where they stand respectfully to start the class with a group greeting as the teacher arrives to class.  Conformity  and school unity can be seen as students stand in lines, sit quietly at their desks listening to the teachers and each other during class, and laugh and hang out with their friends during passing periods and lunches.  

     The traditional Japanese school is composed of preschool and kindergarten for ages three to six, elementary for ages seven to eleven, lower secondary (junior high school) for ages twelve to fourteen, and upper secondary (high school) for ages fifteen to eighteen. The Japanese school system is compulsory for elementary (grades one through six) and junior high (grades seven through nine). Preschool (ages three to five) and kindergarten (ages six and seven) students have the option to attend although most do to start preparing for school. Most students choose to attend high school but it is not mandatory. Once the junior high school exams are completed to determine what high school a student qualifies for, many students decide whether to continue pursuing a rigorous academic focus leading toward a respected college degree or to move into a vocational degree instead. 98% of students attend through high school with 50% of those students going on to junior colleges or universities. 

     (Although attending school is compulsory for first through ninth grade students, there are no sanctions for those who choose not to attend.  A small number of students might not attend school but this is a more recent phenomenon in Japan that is very unusual.  Reasons for non-attendance might include: not able to build good relationships with others, having to deal with other students who are cruel to them, being a minority who does not feel comfortable in a regular school setting, and those students who don’t fit in with their peers. Other than social stigma, there is no consequence for parents whose children do not attend.  Japanese schools try to work with all students by providing counseling services to help students be successful.)

     Around 5% of Japanese students qualify each year for special education. Special education tends to include students with physical disabilities or mental retardation rather than learning difficulties. Most special education students are enrolled in special schools which cater to their needs although some may be found in smaller classroom settings in a regular school.

     The school year goes from April 1 to March 31 in three terms for a total of 190 days. Students attend Monday through Friday although, in the past, they also attended on Saturday mornings. In recent years, there has been a growing trend to reduce the amount of time students are in classes as well as the number of assessments they are expected to complete. Instead, the focus has been on better learning during the school day incorporating more problem solving in the classroom.

     The Japanese school system uses social promotion from grade to grade. All students pass their classes regardless of what they do or don’t do in class. While many students work hard and follow the rules, those students who choose to sleep, not pay attention, talk on their cell phones, or read comic books are frequently ignored. Teachers using the lecture method take the approach that they are presenting the material to students but don’t always make sure the students have mastered the material before moving on to the next area. Instead, they leave it up to the students to decide how much they will learn.  Many teachers spend a large amount of time working with students during their lunch breaks and after school where they frequently stay until 7 p.m. or later each night.  Quite a few teachers experience frustration from having so many students in one class that they are unable to reach all of them. 

     Classes are set up in rows with as many as 43 students in a classroom. Many teachers use the lecture method to teach.  Students are expected to learn the material whether during class or in the evenings when attending 'Cram School' with private tutors costing their parents between 30,000 and 50,000 yen ($300-$500 American dollars) per month.

     But hidden beneath the visible exterior is an educational system in the midst of changing values towards schools and education struggling to make sense of a changing economic society that has seen a decline in economic growth leading to loss of jobs for high school and college students. As the Japanese educational system struggles with how to best deal with these needs, they become more and more like American schools trying to meet student academic needs in a global society.

     In 1995, The Central Council for Education found a need for educational reform. Traditionally, the Japanese people have worked to foster the global unity of the society. Kindness, respect, and human rights were developed in schools and at home leading toward intense national conformity toward societal values. Working together as a collective group resulted in harmony and balance for all (solidarity). Dedication and a sense of responsibility are demonstrated in completing a job with pride regardless of the time involved to complete the project.

     As Japan experienced year after year of economic decline through 2002, Japanese businesses that traditionally hired high school and college students and then trained them to be lifetime, loyal workers no longer had the money to provide the training necessary. Instead, costs to train new workers forced businesses to hire trained workers from other companies resulting in increased competition for good jobs and fewer jobs for untrained workers. Japan lists unemployment numbers at 5.06% but the numbers are actually closer to 10-11% due to the number of unemployed women, students, and laid off workers (Takahiro Miyao, Ph.D., professor for the Center for Global Communications at the International University of Japan in a study on the Japanese Economy: Recent Developments).   

     Even though Japan's gross domestic product is second in the world after the United States, Japan had nominal minimal to negative growth through 2002 resulting in the large unemployment rate mentioned. Governmental policies are examining steps to improve the Japanese economy by finding ways to hire unemployed workers. As businesses are forced to lay off trained workers or compete for trained workers from other companies, the traditional loyalty Japanese workers felt toward their lifetime companies has decreased. This has resulted in an increased number of students who no longer have the guarantee of a job directly out of high school or college.  In more recent years, however, Japan is experiencing a boosted economy that offers more workers job opportunities.

      The Japanese Ministry of Education determines the national goals, school hours and days, and curriculum which schools are mandated to follow. The recent economic and cultural changes have caused educational leaders to reassess whether Japan’s traditional approach to rote memorization and lecture methods with many summative assessments is meeting the needs of a changing economy. In response, changes have been occurring that will be having major impacts on the future of the Japanese educational system. As a result of this economic unrest, educational changes continued as educators tried to meet the needs of a changing society.  As prosperity remained stagnant through 2002, the Japanese government recognized the need for students to become better problem solvers rather than continue the traditional rote memorization expectations. This led the Japanese Ministry of Education, in 2003, to implement a new national goal for schools to develop creativity in students with increased problem solving and less paper/pencil work. A second goal was determined, due to the high levels of stress students were feeling in regards to passing their examinations at the end of their elementary and junior high school years, to discontinue Saturday schools which had been required up until 2003. More recently, with a drop in the Japanese national test scores compared to other nations, there has been a growing discontent by some educators with not requiring students to attend the Saturday school and the focus on less rote memorization. This has led to some schools going back to requiring more rote learning despite the Japanese Ministry of Education’s goals.

Preschool and Kindergarten:

     Japanese public preschools for children ages three to five and kindergarten (ages six and seven) have no academic curriculum beyond the expectation that they expand their minds and bodies through creative play.  Students are expected to learn how to play together through their imaginations with little input from the teachers.  Students have access to indoor and outdoor play equipment that ties in with Japanese skills and athletics frequently found in the adult world as well as music appreciation and dance from their teachers.

     Public kindergartens typically focus on two areas: developing strong minds (increasing student creativity which will lead to success in elementary school) and bodies (encouraging students to actively engage with their environment and gain physical awareness). The principal of the school helps set the guiding principles for each school which can include a variety of other components that support these two fundamental guidelines. Examples may include: learning how to get along with each other socially, playing creatively without teacher guidance to foster independence in choice, encourage energetic children who want to learn, developing a strong mind to overcome life’s difficulties, and learning how to be empathetic/sympathetic with others. To accomplish these objectives, many kindergarten classes use real life experiences such as visiting public libraries, field trips to the zoo or elsewhere, having animals in the classroom, growing plants, using music to foster singing, and encouraging free play with other students.

     Many Japanese schools face challenges in their kindergarten programs. One of the most obvious is a decreasing enrollment due to a decline in the birth rate. As the older generation gets larger, this will become more of a problem as there are fewer young people in Japan than there were in previous generations. A second problem that occurs is the gap between the preschool programs (that are run in the same area as the kindergarten classes) that are overseen by the Department of Health and Welfare and the kindergarten programs that are regulated by the Ministry of Education. Both have different expectations that may need to be more compatible in upcoming years. Along with a shrinking population, many of the public preschools and kindergartens are facing tremendous challenges to keep up their school enrollments as many parents choose to send their children to private preschools and kindergartens where academics are taught that help prepare students for the rigors of elementary and middle school assessments.

     A final challenge Japanese educators face is whether or not to make nursery school encompass children younger than three years of age. Fifty years of tradition make this extremely difficult although some Japanese educators see this as a means to start working with students at an earlier age to increase their academic success later.

Outside Play Time   Students are encouraged to play creatively indoors and outside with each other cooperatively.
Cleanup Time   After play time, students all pitch in (even at the early ages) to clean up their play toys and equipment.
Kindergarten Program   Students worked hard to prepare a music program for the visitors that included song and dance.

 

Preschool and Kindergarten
School Rules Big Kids Art 5th Grade Art      
     
Outdoors Outdoor Play Planting Digging Careful...  
 
Indoor Play Pirates Hiding Away Unicycles Soccer Best Friends
 Origami Folding Paper Practice  Group Singing What is that? Teacher Help
     

Koriyama Minami Elementary School:

     The Koriyama Minami Elementary School, located in Yamatokoriyama, Nara, has 508 students, 32 classroom teachers, and one principal.  It is composed of preschool students (ages 3 to 5) in one building and kindergarten (ages 6 and 7) through sixth grade (ages 11 and 12) in another.  Students attend three terms a school year with two week breaks in between.  The school was built in 1971 and incorporates an open area between two classroom wings allowing students to go from their homeroom class to their daily specials.  Students remain in their homerooms and the teachers rotate subject areas to increase the teaching efficiency.

     Students are assigned chores during the day starting with class leaders who get the classes organized for when the teachers arrive.  Lunch is served by student runners who go and get the food and serving dishes followed by everyone helping stack the leftover trays and items for cleanup back to the kitchen.  Students then have a period of time to clean up the entire school including the classrooms, hallways, nature area (including sweeping up the fallen leaves), and scrubbing windows, mirrors, and chalkboards.  Everyone is energetic about getting their chores done (including some good natured playing around in between the assignments).

     Special education students (those with major physical disabilities) usually attend separate schools set up in Japan just for this population.  Even so, the special education students at Kariyama Minami Elementary School had their own classroom with a teacher and para attending the students' needs.  The students attended the regular assembly and other school activities as part of the entire group with no noticeable differences from the other students.

Koriyama Minami Elementary School
Elementary Preschool Principal Arriving Group Picture Hello!
Preschool          
Building Greetings Physical Education Reading Circle Recess Learning
Lower Elementary          
Shoe Cubbies Classroom Workbooks Assignments Groups Assembly
Shoe Bags Bulletin Board Recorders      
     
Art:  Ceramics Art:  Drawing Art:  Leaf Designs Art with Nature Art with Nature  
 
Upper Elementary          
Second Floor Reading Out Loud Oral Reading Instruction    
   
Question/Answer Presentations Public Speaking Charts Demonstrations Listening
Artwork          
     
Chores          
Bringing Food Serving Eating Cleaning Grates Cleaning Mirror Cleaning Mirror
Scrubbing Floor Scrubbing Floor        
       
Special Education          
Teaching Class Instruction One-on-One Assembly    
   
Special Rooms          
Technology Lab Library Science Lab Science Lab Music  
 
Art:  Ceramics Art:  Ceramics        
       

Koriyama Junior High School:

     Junior high school is made up of students in grades seven, eight, and nine.  Students attend the same daily schedule as the high school students from around 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. followed by clubs and special activities after school.  Students stay in the same room all day long and the teachers come to their home room except for the exploratory or science classes that have their own space for labs and preparations.  At the junior high school level, observers will see the typical pre-adolescent behaviors that are evident everywhere although the Japanese youth get along overall very well on their own with little teacher supervision during their ten minute passing periods and lunch times. 

      Junior high school students take the traditional math, science, geography, and English classes along with their exploratory classes where they learn unique skills they practice for many school years (for example, sewing starts in fourth grade and continues through high school in the Home Economics classes).  Students stay in the same room all day except for their exploratory classes of science, technology, art, home making , health, PE , industrial arts (wood crafts and horticulture), and music for which they rotate. Junior high school classrooms are very clean with little on the walls for decoration or student work. Before school, during lunch, and after school cleanup is all conducted in the same room with students taking on chores from a list assigning students job duties to complete. After school, students are encouraged to participate in club activities until 4 p.m. such as badminton, soccer, kendo, baseball, rugby, and basketball after which time they go home to prepare for Cram School.

     At the junior high school level, teachers appear to use a lot of lecture and student questioning with very few attempts to have students interact with each other. Even though the trend is changing to more interaction with students to improve their problem solving skills in math with smaller classes, it is evident that traditional teaching approaches are used quite frequently. Students may or may not pay attention to the teachers which seems to be accepted based on the teacher’s strength and expectations. As such, 80% of students attend Cram School from 7-10 p.m. three to five evenings a week. Costing between 30,000 and 50,000 yen ($300-$500) a month, Cram School provides individual or small group tutoring where students can study what was taught during the school day so they can successfully pass their classes.

     In 2001, the Japanese Ministry of Education developed a new curriculum focusing on developing students’ academic ability and fostering strong minds and bodies.  Teachers are expected to incorporate problem solving strategies and hands-on assignments to increase student creativity and reduce rote learning.  The old adage of ‘Study hard, Play hard’ was used to describe the new approach. Teachers are encouraged to make the best use of their classroom time whether it be through lecture or integrating more interactions with students. Along with these changes, smaller classroom sizes around fifteen students have been established for the math and reading classes to improve those test scores whereas the high schools usually still have 40 or more students in their classes.

     Junior high schools encourage students to gain many experiences in cultural, physical, and musical areas. Students are encouraged to treat each other respectfully and to have the right moral behaviors. Teachers understand that, when students ‘damage each other’ by fighting, cussing, or having verbal disagreements, this is part of the process of growing children. As such, teachers try to be patient so students will know and understand what are acceptable behaviors. Even so, there are many times during the day when students are left unsupervised with many opportunities to cause disruptions which may cause the Japanese schools to re-evaluate the way they approach student supervision in the future.

     There are very few discipline problems in Japan. Kindergarten through high school students are indoctrinated into the Japanese culture of working together from an early age that there is very little evidence of a student harming another. If anything, teachers list ‘bullying’ at the junior high school level as their main difficulty which includes some student to student concerns as well as students disrespecting teachers during instruction. In recent years, this has become more evident as students are starting to conform to modern day influences and individuality with less respect for the traditional conformity to rules and regulations.

     At the end of the junior high school period, students must take an examination to find out what high school program (i.e., college preparatory or vocational) they will qualify for after graduating from junior high school.  These exams can be very intense and students study many hours preparing for the exams so they can do their best. 

     Along with the pictures, here are a couple of junior high school videos that show how students are students where ever you are!  Enjoy...

Assembly Songs   Students prepared an assembly program for the visitors with songs, celebrations, and dance.
Passing Period   A ten minute passing period was normal for students to get to one place or another.
Regular Class   Classes started by standing up and bowing to the teacher before the lesson and assignments.
Home Economics Class   Cooking classes prepared students with life skills they can use as adults.
Science Class   Learning more in science about charting planets and other skills
Science Class 2   My favorite science class showing that junior high school students are the same everywhere you go!
Passing Period 2   And now, back to class!

 

Koriyama Junior High School
Welcome! Koriyama JHS Principal Halls Students More Students
Class Assignment Passing Period Typical Class No lockers! Friendly Faces Peace
Science Class Lab Work Lab Studious Students Math Notetaking
English Class Reading English Science Paying Attention Planet Rotations  
 
Computer Class Assignment Hello! Working Hard PE Class  
 
Music Room Listening to Teacher Sitting on Floor Home Ec Class Sewing Project More Sewing
Cooking Class $3 Omelets Eggs... Stirring... Cooking... Eating!
Special Ed Class Learning to Match Is that the one? Nurse's Office Library  
 
Shoe Rack Slippers on Floors Assembly Behavior      
     

High Schools:

Good Afternoon! 

At the high school level, there are 28 curriculum classes per week (for a total of 26 weeks) including three classes of math, English, science, and social studies.  Schedules rotate around core subject areas such as math and science for three times a week whereas the fine arts classes may be once every other week.  Teachers use a lot of lecture and student questioning with very few attempts to have students interact with each other. Even though the trend is changing to more interaction with students to improve their problem solving skills in math with smaller classes, it is evident that traditional teaching approaches are used quite frequently. Students may or may not pay attention to the teachers which seems to be accepted based on the teacher’s strength and expectations. As such, 80% of students attend Cram School from 7-10 p.m. three to five evenings a week. Costing between 30,000 and 50,000 yen ($300-$500) a month, Cram School provides individual or small group tutoring where students can study what was taught during the school day so they can successfully pass their classes.

    High school students are strongly encouraged to participate in after school programs, athletics, and clubs that encourage academics and school participation. Teachers sponsor activities such as ping pong, judo, Tea Ceremony, badminton, vocal music, sewing, band, baseball, soccer, cooking, archery, and many other clubs where students enjoy being with others outside of the school day. Students spend many hours after school in these activities and frequently come back on the weekends to practice their sporting events and compete. In the more prestigious high schools, club participation goes beyond the school into city wide competitions helping to foster school unity and school pride for the winners. These events help encourage students to learn how to get along with each other, participate as a team member, learn cultural aspects of their Japanese heritage, and continue valuing their educational pursuits.

The Japanese Ministry of Education believes the following about subject areas:

Math:

Science:

Reading:

Judo (click to play 18 second video)

Kendo (click to play 28 second video)

High School
High School Cleanup        
       
High School Students
Art   Calligraphy      
Classes          
         
Cafeteria Lunch Noodles Servers    
   
Teacher  Room Teacher Desk Another Teacher Tight Quarters    
   
Clubs          
Judo Practice Time More Practice There's a Fall    
Kendo          
Archery          
Band     Ping Pong Volleyball Stretching
Baseball Warm Up Batting Practice Batter's Up Outfield Homerun!
FACS Making Sewing Books for Bangladesh Children  
Tea Ceremony Protocall Green Tea Roll Courtesy Kimonos
Track Before Practice Courtesy      
     
           

School Teachers:

     Teachers in Japan do the same jobs and responsibilities but through the Japanese eye.  Teachers start the work day around 7 a.m. in the morning followed by a daily meeting with the principal for twenty minutes each morning before starting school at 8 a.m.  Instead of students rotating between classes, teachers visit each group of students in a home room (except for exploratories).  During the day when the teacher is not teaching (there is very little teacher supervision in the halls except for lunch in a homeroom with a class), they can be found in a large room that is set aside for teachers to work.  Each teacher has a desk in a large 'Teacher Room' that houses all teachers together where they can work, grade papers, or take their planning period.  After teaching until 3:15 p.m., teachers are responsible for running an after school club until 5 p.m. for students.  After students go home, teachers are expected to stay until at least 5:30 p.m. daily although most stay until 7 p.m. as the Japanese work ethic entails.

     Teachers work year round with five days off for vacation.  They are required to hold a teaching degree from an accredited university or college. They usually specialize in a subject area and travel from class to class teaching students during the day unless they are a specialized class where the students must come to their room for instruction. Once hired, teachers have tenure for life. If a teacher is not satisfactory, the administrator can required that the teacher go to a special year of training to become better. At the end of the training, the teacher is re-evaluated to determine if he/she will continue employment or be terminated.

     Along with the business world, teachers have less and less loyalty to one individual school or system. Teachers must move from one school to another at least every five years but the principal can also request that teachers be moved more frequently. As such, there is a trend in Japan for more individuality and less belongingness to one organization.

School Administrators:

     Japanese school administrators are extremely respected in the entire society. To become an administrator, the candidate must be a licensed teacher and pass an administrator exam. Following the country traditions, most school administrators are male starting in their fifties. There are no classes or degrees to hold other than the successful completion of the exam. The process of moving a teacher directly into being in charge of a school without experience can sometimes be a problem since they have no previous practice. As such, some schools have started hiring business managers to run the school who have successfully completed the administrator exam.

     School administrators are responsible for:

Parent Teacher Organization:

     The Japanese school system was initially set up to model those in the United States.  As such, there is a Parent Teacher Organization at each school along with a citywide organization that oversees what the schools do.  The Parent Teacher Organization is responsible for meeting together to help give the principal direction on what the school should be doing, helping with fund raisers, and volunteering to help work in the schools.  At the city level, the key organization positions are held by men, as is common in Japan, even though they are very busy during the day and are rarely able to volunteer at the schools.

     When students enroll in school, parents are required to join the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Dues are between 300 and 400 yen ($3-$4) a month although not all parents choose to attend. Most parents who attend are mothers, since fathers typically work full days and into the evenings. Additionally, many active PTA members have a personal interest in what is happening to their child at school and want to make a difference in what is happening. PTA activities include activities which guide and help support the school including: developing fund raisers, buying library books, helping support clubs and sports, and activities that support the principal.

     Each city has an overall PTA executive board, usually made up of men, that oversees the school district’s PTA associations. They discuss general concerns and make policy that helps with the running of the schools. Their issues include: bullying in schools (they recognize that the parents of the bullies generally won’t attend PTA meetings so struggle how to work with these problem students), lack of communication to parents (many students don’t share with their parents the PTA information that is sent home), the increasing number of students not attending school (over the last 20 years, this number has been steadily growing even though school attendance for first through ninth grade is compulsory), an increase in student behavior problems (students who are forced to attend against their will and don’t want to be in school are becoming disruptive to others), the need for stronger teachers (some teachers are seen as weak or ineffective by parents causing them to choose private rather than public schools), and the ability of teachers to remove disruptive students (rather than continue lecturing or allow those students to disrupt the learning environment).

 

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