Education

in Japan
 Highly centralized and is
administered by the Mombusho or
Ministry of education
 24 million students from
kindergarten through university
about ten percent going to the
university
one third go to private schools
restare enrolled in the public school
system. (Abner, 2002)
The system gives us a
mental picture of obedient,
quiet school children

The 21st Century:

Environment, Economy and
society
“Japan’s educational system produces
students who perform far better on
international examinations than Americans
do, and Japanese students are indisputably
among the best in the world in solving
mathematical equations…Youngsters are
well behaved, envied around as law-
abiding: Japan’s low crime rates are well
known and widely envied around the world.
But what is even civility; graffiti and
vandalism are rare and school sports teams
not only bow to each other before the game
but rush over the opposing team’s stand
after the game to pay their respect. ”
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A. Basic Education

B. Higher Education
The Japanese educational System
is divided into five basic levels:

• Kindergarten
• Elementary school (six years)
• Lower secondary school (three
years)
• Upper secondary school (three
years)
• University (four years)
Preschools (yochien)
These are not official part of
the educational system
Prefectural boards license
teachers, appoint teachers to
public elementary and lower
secondary schools also license
preschools in their area
education is free and
compulsory for children
from 6-15 years
Lecture
students spend 243 days a
year in school
Standard curriculum includes
Japanese language
Social studies
Math
Science
Art
Music
Home economics
Physical education
Lower secondary
Grade seven, eight and nine
2/3’s of teacher compose of
Men
Class size average is 38
Periods are 50 minutes
 Upper secondary
Offer academic, technical and
vocational programs
First year courses include
Japanese language
English
Science
Math
Ranked based on their success in
placing graduating students into
prestigious universities.
Vocational course
Information processing
Navigation
Fishfarming
Ceramics
Business English

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 80% of universities in Japan are private
schools.
 To enter a university the students have
to take two exams:
 first
one is a national achievement test
 second one given by the university itself
which is highly competitive
 Studentswho fail the test will take
another year to study and prepare to
take the test again. These students are
called Ronin, which originally meant
Samurai.
 60% of the universities have
graduate schools, but only 7% of
university graduate gets master’s
degree
 At the doctorate level, students
enrol in medical programs and the
humanities.
Japanese education relies
heavily upon examinations