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10 distinctive features of the Japanese education

system that made this nation the envy of the world
Japanese people are known for their intelligence, strong health, politeness, and wellness. But
why is this nation so unique and different from the rest of the world? We at Bright Side seem
to have found the answer: they have an incredibly cool education system!

Manners before knowledge.

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© carlosbarria / reuters.com (http://blogs.reuters.com/carlosbarria/)  

In Japanese schools, the students don’t take any exams until they reach grade four (the age
of 10). They just take small tests. It is believed that the goal for the first 3 years of school is not
to judge the child’s knowledge or learning, but to establish good manners and to develop their
character. Children are taught to respect other people and to be gentle to animals and nature.
They also learn how to be generous, compassionate, and empathetic. Besides this, the kids
are taught qualities like grit, self-control, and justice.

The academic year starts on April 1st.

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© seejapan.co.uk (http://www.seejapan.co.uk/jnto_consumer/media/press-releases/press-release-detail/14-02-
27/cherry-blossom-season)  

While most schools and universities in the world begin their academic year in September
or October, in Japan it is April that marks the start of the academic and business calendar. The
first day of school often coincides with one of the most beautiful natural phenomena — the
time of cherry blossom. The academic year is divided into 3 trimesters: April 1 — July 20,
September 1 — December 26, and January 7 — March 25. Japanese students get 6 weeks
of holidays during the summer. They also have two-week breaks in winter and spring.

Most Japanese schools do not employ janitors or custodians. The students

 clean their school themselves.
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© emaze.com (https://www.emaze.com/@AFLFQZIC/Presentation-Name)  

In Japanese schools, students have to clean the classrooms, cafeterias, and even toilets all
by themselves. When cleaning, students are divided into small groups and assigned tasks that
rotate throughout the year. The Japanese education system believes that requiring students
to clean up after themselves teaches them to work in a team and help each other. Besides,
spending their own time and effort sweeping, mopping, and wiping makes kids respect their
own work and the work of others.

In Japanese schools, school lunch is provided on a standardized menu and

is eaten in the classroom.
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© treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/school-lunch-what-do-the-kids-eat.html)  

The Japanese education system does its best to ensure that the students eat healthy and
balanced meals. In public elementary and junior high schools, the lunch for students is cooked
according to a standardized menu developed not only by qualified chefs but also by health care
professionals. All classmates eat in their classroom together with the teacher. This helps build
positive teacher-student relationships.

After-school workshops are very popular in Japan.

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© novakdjokovicfoundation (https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/interesting-facts-about-japanese-school-system/)  

In order to get into a good junior high school, most Japanese students enter a preparatory
school or attend private after-school workshops. The classes in these schools are held in the
evenings. Seeing groups of small kids returning from their extracurricular courses late in the
evening is common in Japan. Japanese students have an 8-hour school day, but apart from that
they study even during the holidays and on weekends. It’s no wonder that the students in this
country almost never repeat grades in primary, lower secondary, or secondary school

Apart from traditional subjects, Japanese students also learn Japanese

calligraphy and poetry.
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© midwestdojo.com (http://midwestdojo.com/shodomoon/)  

Japanese calligraphy, or Shodo, involves dipping a bamboo brush in ink and using it to write
hieroglyphs on rice paper. For Japanese people, Shodo is an art that is no less popular than
traditional painting. Haiku, on the other hand, is a form of poetry that uses simple expressions
to convey deep emotions to readers. Both classes teach children to respect their own culture
and centuries-old traditions.

Nearly all students have to wear a school uniform.

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© japantimes.co.jp (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/23/business/changing-values-behind-school-
uniforms/#.V6QnH_krLrc)  

Almost all junior high schools require their students to wear school uniforms. While some
schools have their own attire, traditional Japanese school uniform consists of a military style
for boys and a sailor outfit for girls. The uniform policy is intended to remove social barriers
among students and get them into a working mood. Besides, wearing school uniform helps
to promote a sense of community among the children.

The school attendance rate in Japan is about 99.99%.

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© ajari / flickr.com (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajari/2354004896/)  

Probably all of us have played truant at least once in our life. However, Japanese students don’t
skip classes, nor do they arrive late for school. Moreover, around 91% of pupils in Japan
reported that they never, or only in some classes, ignored what the teacher lectured. How
many other countries can boast such statistics?

A single test decides the students’ futures.

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© japantimes.co.jp (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/12/02/reference/entrance-exams-get-failing-grade/)  

At the end of high school, Japanese students have to take a very important exam that decides
their future. A student can choose one college they would like to go to, and that college has
a certain score requirement. If a student doesn’t reach that score they probably don’t
go to college. The competition is very high — only 76% of school graduates continue their
education after high school. It’s no wonder that the period of preparation for entrance to higher
education institutions is nicknamed ’examination hell.’

College years are the best ’holidays’ in a person’s life.

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© Chris 73 / wikimedia.org (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tokyo_University_Entrance_Exam_Results_7.JPG)
 

Having gone through ’examination hell,’ Japanese students usually take a little break. In this
country, college is often considered the best years of a person’s life. Sometimes, Japanese
people call this period a ’vacation’ before work.

Preview photo credit carlosbarria / reuters.com (http://blogs.reuters.com/carlosbarria/)

Based on materials from tofugu (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-education/) ,
novakdjokovicfoundation (https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/interesting-facts-about-japanese-school-
system/) , examen (http://www.examen.ru/add/manual/higher-education-abroad/sistema-obrazovanija-v-
japonii/) , psychologos (http://www.psychologos.ru/articles/view/yaponskaya_sistema_obrazovaniya)