Introduction
The school year is divided into trimesters. There are three-holiday breaks: A month-long summer break, a two-week break for winter, and spring vacations respectively. Japan students are some of the world’s best in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) according to tests administered by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), (Chawala, 2021). The 6-3-3-4 system is broken down into six years in primary school, three years in both junior and upper secondary respectively, and four years in university. Primary and junior education levels are compulsory and free with a close to 100% completion rate (National Centre for Education and the Economy [NCEE], 2021).
Interesting facts
All primary and secondary school students in Japan wear the specific uniform designated by their school (Chawala, 2021). The Japanese school year is sixty days longer than the US school year (Johnson & Johnson, 2019). All students take part in a communal cleaning exercise at the end of the day, a practice called osoji and prepare their lunch in a program called shokoiku (Johnson & Johnson, 2019). There is only an 8% variation in academic performance between learners attributable to a disparity in socioeconomic background. The management Japanese education system is centralized under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (NCEE, 2021).
MEXT
MEXT regulates education in Japan. Japanese prefectures, similar to states, have insignificant input as regards education. MEXT is technically in charge of public schools and authorizes private schools to operate (NCEE, 2021). It designs the curriculum and makes regular improvements to the syllabi and content delivery as the need arises. Textbooks must be approved by MEXT for each subject before being used in Japanese schools. Additionally, teachers in Japan are trained, hired and appraised by MEXT which means that both student education, school development and teacher facilitation is coordinated and facilitated by MEXT. MEXT guides institutional policy such as university strategy on funding and enrolment as well (Yonezawa, 2019).
Preschool
Hoikuen is a daycare for toddlers above two months old whereas Youchien is a preschool for children between three and six years old (NCEE, 2021). More than 90% of Japanese children attend preschool. Children are mainly taught social behavior that will stand them in good stead throughout their academic life. They mostly engage in play with moderate academic engagement. By the age of six, preschool-trained children are well-mannered, obedient, and disciplined as they are shepherded onto the next stage of learning. 80% of preschools are privately owned. However, there is an insignificant difference between private and public schools in Japan across all levels (NCEE, 2021).
Primary/Elementary School
Schools administer their intermediate tests to students over the course of their primary school term (Maeda and Hatada, 2019). There is no standard test for admission into upper secondary school. Almost all primary schools are public with the government offering free learning in public schools and significantly subsidizing school fees in private schools (NCEE, 2021). Elementary schools have about 35 learners per class or homeroom. Each homeroom has a homeroom teacher who teaches every subject at that level.
Lower-Secondary (Junior High) School
Upon completion of lower secondary school, learners are awarded a school leaving diploma. About 97% of learners join an upper-secondary institution (NCEE, 2021). Each teacher instructs one particular subject. Each class is assigned a teacher who is in charge of preparing documents and liaising with the parents of the learners therein. Since 2010, English is taught as a compulsory subject for learners (NCEE, 2021). Additionally, learners are taught sports, and industrial arts.
Upper Secondary Education
Entrance to conventional upper secondary schools is competitive with the top-ranked schools getting many applications from aspiring students (Johnson & Johnson, 2021). About 3% of upper secondary schools are vocational schools teaching technical courses such as engineering for up to five years after which learners attain an associate degree (NCEE, 2021). Associate degree holders are capable of obtaining jobs and are highly sought after in the job market regardless of whether they pursue additional university education (NCEE, 2021). The Japanese government pays tuition fees for each learner with parents paying other elements of school fees. Super high schools mainly offer advanced-level STEM education (NCEE, 2021). They are considered prestigious and are at times taught by university lecturers. Generally, upper secondary school teachers are highly trained and are typically university graduates.
Tertiary Education
Close to three-quarters of eligible high school graduates join an institution of higher learning every year. Institutions of higher learning can be universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology, and specialized training colleges (NCEE, 2021). Notably, more than 95% of eligible candidates opt for academic universities where they can pursue conventional courses of higher learning. However, due to a declining population, many Japanese universities are struggling to find enrollees and are resorting to open enrolment as opposed to meritocratic placement. There are concerns that such an approach may, in the long term, affect the quality of Japanese university graduates. Additionally, many Japanese universities struggle to attract students from outside Japan owing to Japanese universities lacking global appeal (Yonezawa, 2020). Most Japanese university graduates are prepared primarily for the Japanese job market and they rarely venture out to work in other countries (Yonezawa, 2020.) Overall, Japanese universities face several challenges of significance to tertiary education in Japan as a whole.
Pros of the Japanese Education System
Students are taught moral studies, food and nutrition education, and how to work in groups which is essential for their development as responsible members of society. The Japanese system is lauded for the performance of its students in STEM subjects relative to students from other parts of the world. Japanese teachers are relatively highly paid and teaching is a highly regarded occupation in Japan (NCEE, 2021).
Students who do not wish to go on with academics can branch early into technical skills at upper secondary. Such learners can achieve a high degree of specialization in their field. Due to centralized management, the Japanese education system is very synchronized and standardized across the country. The education system is therefore well safeguarded from the spatial and temporal interests that affect education systems that are devolved to regional governments.
Cons
Rote memorization is the primary method of content delivery as opposed to using a problem-solving approach. The school calendar year has only two months of recess. Japanese students spend the most time in school relative to their peers worldwide (NCEE, 2021). Johnson & Johnson (2019) decry the existence of Ronin or “masterless samurai”: Students who have failed entrance examinations for university must therefore retake them amidst social ignominy. Cram schools or “Juku” and “yobiko” offer private additional afterschool lessons for struggling learners (Johnson & Johnson, 2019). Parents pay these private institutions to prepare their children for exams.
References
Chawala, S. (2021). Education in Japan. WENR. Web.
Johnson, M. L., & Johnson, J. R. (2019). FSI | SPICE – daily life in Japanese high schools. Stanford.edu. Web.
Maeda, N., & Hatada, S. (2019). The school attendance problem in Japanese compulsory education: The case of a public junior high school. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 12(1), 63. Web.
National Center on Education and the Economy. (2021). Japan. NCEE. Web.
Yonezawa, A. (2019). Challenges of the Japanese higher education amidst population decline and globalization. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 18(1), 1–10. Web.