EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

JAPAN
Reported by:
Lea Mae Espera
BEED-IV
Japan
 Table of Contents

I. Objective of Educational System of Australia

II. Mission and Vision of Australian schools
III. Timeline
IV. Historical Background
V. Qualification Framework
VI. Goal
VII. Role of the Teacher
VIII. Methods of Instruction
IX. Curriculum
X. Teaching Strategies
XI. Reflection
XII. Compare and Contrast
 Objectives of
Educational System
of
JAPAN
 EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES IN JAPAN
The basic principles for education in Japan are defined in the Constitution, enacted
in
1946, and the Fundamental Law of Education (1947). The Constitution provides for
the basic right and duty of the people
to receive education as follows: “
All people shall have the right to receive an equal education corresponding to their
abilities, as provided for by law. The people shall be obligated to have all boys and
girls under their protection receive general education as provided for by law. Such
compulsory education shall be free.
” The Fundamental Law of Education sets forth the basic national aims and
principles of education in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. The Law
defines the central aim of education as: “the full development of personality, striving
for the rearing of people, sound in mind and body, who shall love truth and justice,
esteem the value of the individual, respect labour and have a deep sense of
responsibility, and be imbued with an independent spirit, as builders of a peaceful
state and society.” To achieve this aim, the Law sets forth national principles of
education such as equal opportunity, nine-year compulsory education, co-education,
and prohibition of partisan political education.
Mission
&
Vision
Mission:
A spirit of community shapes the A-JIS experience.
We are dedicated to developing global-minded,
compassionate, collaborative students inspired to
learn, take risks, and lead change in the world.
Vision:
A-JIS will continue to be a leading international
school by providing students with a rigorous
international education in a safe and supportive
environment conducive to learning in which
learners’ needs are supported, their perspectives
sought and respected, and their unique qualities
valued and nurtured. Through a continued
emphasis on educational excellence and
innovation, each individual student will be
provided relevant resources and opportunities that
will enable them to secure the best of what the
future holds for them.
TIMELINE
The Japanese educational system was reformed after World War
II. The old 6-5-3-3 system was changed to a 6-3-3-4 system (6
years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high school, 3 years
of senior high school and 4 years of University) with reference to
the American system. The gimukyoiku (compulsory education)
time period is 9 years, 6 in shougakkou (elementary school) and
3 in chuugakkou(junior high school).
Japan has one of the world's best-educated
populations, with 100% enrollment in compulsory
grades and zero illiteracy. While not compulsory,
high school (koukou 高校) enrollment is over 96%
nationwide and nearly 100% in the cities. The
high school drop out rate is about 2% and has
been increasing. About 46% of all high school
graduates go on to university or junior college.
The Ministry of Education closely supervises
curriculum, textbooks, classes and maintains a
uniform level of education throughout the
country. As a result, a high standard of education
is possible.
*School calendar

-classes normally start in April and ends in

March of the following year
-fieldtrips happen in May (Spring)
-Annual Sports in September (Autumn)
-Three long vacations
*Summer break (late July-late August)
*Winter break (late December-early January)
*Spring break (late Feb-early April)
-Graduation in March-less significant
 SCHOOL EDUCATION
SYSTEM
Most schools operate on a three-term system with the new year
starting in April. The modern educational system started in 1872,
and is modeled after the French school system, which begins in
April. The fiscal year in Japan also begins in April and ends in
March of the following year, which is more convenient in many
aspects.
April is the height of spring when cherry blossom (the most loved
flower of the Japanese!) bloom and a most suitable time for a
new start in Japan. This difference in the school-year system
causes some inconvenience to students who wish to study abroad
in the U.S. A half year is wasted waiting to get in and often
another year is wasted when coming back to the Japanese
university system and having to repeat a year.
Except for the lower grades of elementary school, the average school day on
weekdays is 6 hours, which makes it one of the longest school days in the world.
Even after school lets out, the children have drills and other homework to keep
them busy. Vacations are 6 weeks in the summer and about 2 weeks each for winter
and spring breaks. There is often homework over these vacations.
Every class has its own fixed classroom where its students take all the courses,
except for practical trainings and laboratory work. During elementary education, in
most cases, one teacher teaches all the subjects in each class. As a result of the
rapid population growth after World War II, the numbers of students in a typical
elementary or junior high school class once exceeded 50 students, but now it is
kept under 40. At public elementary and junior high school, school lunch
(kyuushoku 給食) is provided on a standardized menu, and it is eaten in the
classroom. Nearly all junior high schools require their students to wear a school
uniform (seifuku 制服).
A big difference between the Japanese school system and the American School
systemis that Americans respect individuality while the Japanese control the
individual by observing group rules.
This helps to explains the Japanese characteristic of group behavior.
Higher education in Japan is provided at universities (大学 daigaku), junior
colleges (短期大学 tanki daigaku), colleges of technology (高等専門学校 kōtō
senmon gakkō) and special training schools and community colleges (専修学
校 senshū gakkō). Of these four types of institutions, only universities and
junior colleges are strictly considered postsecondary education providers. The
modern Japanese higher education system has undergone numerous
changes since the Meiji period and was largely modeled after Western
countries such as Germany, France, Britain, and the United States to create a
unique Japanese model to serve its national needs. The Japanese higher
education system differs from higher education in most other countries in
many significant ways. Key differences include the method of acceptance,
which relies almost entirely on one or two tests, as opposed to GPAs (Grade
Point Average) or other methods of assessment used in Western countries.
Because students only have one chance to take this test each year, there is an
enormous amount of pressure to do well on this test, and the majority of senior
high school education is dedicated to doing well on this single test.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN JAPAN

Another major difference is graduate school, as very few non-science
undergraduate students go to graduate school in Japan. This is because graduate
schools for non-science students are generally considered useful only those who
want to work in academia. This has changed a little since the turn of the 21st
century. The law has changed to require those who want to become lawyers to
attend a graduate school the Japanese government has designated a law school.
Previously, lawyers only had to pass the bar exam, which undergraduate students
could take. Major universities have also opened business schools, though few
Japanese students attend these because most Japanese corporations still don't
regard graduate students as much more qualified than undergraduate students.
For this reason, they are mostly attended by foreign students from neighboring
Asian countries, particularly South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Unlike higher
education in some other countries, public universities are generally regarded as
more prestigious than private universities, especially the National Seven
Universities (University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Tohoku University, Kyushu
University, Hokkaido University, Osaka University, and Nagoya University).

HIGHER EDUCATION IN JAPAN

As the Japanese economy is largely scientific
and technological based, the labor market
demands people who have achieved some form
of higher education, particularly related to
science and engineering in order to gain a
competitive edge when searching for
employment. According to the MEXT,
approximately 75.9% of students who graduate
from high school attended a university, junior
college, trade school, or other higher education
institution.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN JAPAN

HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
The early history of Japanese education was
profoundly affected by the Chinese. From
the Chinese, the Japanese acquired new
crafts and, most important, a system of
writing. The acquisition of writing cannot be
precisely dated, but by about AD 400
Korean scribes were using Chinese
ideographs for official records at the
Japanese imperial courts. Education in
ancient Japan, however, was more
aristocratic than in the Chinese system, with
noble families maintaining their own private
schooling facilities. During the medieval
military-feudal period, Buddhist temples
assumed much responsibility for education.
Under the Tokugawa shogunate, which
dominated the country from 1600,
educational facilities spread to create one of
the most literate of all pre-modern societies.
With the onset of the rule of Emperor Meiji and the so-
called Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan underwent a
radical transformation in education as well as in social
and economic matters. A ministry of education was
created in 1872, and in the same year a comprehensive
educational code that included universal primary
education was formulated. The government sent
educational missions to Europe and America to learn new
educational approaches; it also invited foreign educators
to carry on educational programmes and initiate changes
in Japanese schools. In 1877, during this period of
innovation, the University of Tokyo was founded.
As a result of these reforms, Japan emerged as a modern nation with a full
educational system that was in line with much of Western practice. The
defeat of Japan in World War II resulted in educational changes, many of
which were recommended in 1946 by a US educational mission; some of
these changes were discontinued when Japan regained sovereign status
as a nation in 1952. The teaching of nationalistic ideology was banned,
greater emphasis was placed on social studies, and classroom
procedures were redesigned to encourage self-expression. Education in
Japan is centralized under the Ministry of Education. Its school system
operates under the Fundamental Law of Education of 1947 and subsequent
legislation and enables all students to compete for admission to
institutions of higher education. One of the continuing problems facing
Japanese educators is the teaching of the complex Japanese language,
which combines several scripts. In 1995, 4.7 per cent of the state budget
was spent on education.
 Elementary and Secondary
Schools in Japan
Education is free and compulsory for
nine years—that is, six of elementary
school and three of junior high
school. Beyond the junior high school
level, education is optional, and a small
tuition fee is charged, even in public
senior high schools and public
institutions of higher learning. In 1997–
1998 Japan had about 24,376 primary
schools attended by some 7.39 million
pupils and, in 1995, about 16,775
secondary schools with about 9.3 million
pupils. Primary school teachers
numbered about 362,605 (1996), and
there were some 552,137 (1995)
secondary school teachers. Technical,
commercial, and vocational schools are
also maintained, as are schools for the
physically disabled. Private tutorial
colleges are a widespread and popular
adjunct to the fiercely competitive
educational system. Britannica
enciclopedia
Universities and Colleges
Japan has about 60 national (formerly
called imperial) universities and many
private universities. Among the biggest
national universities are Chiba
University (1949); Hiroshima University
(1949); Hokkaido University (1876) at
Sapporo; Kōbe University (1949); Kyoto
University (1897); Kyushu University
(1911) at Fukuoka; Nagoya University
(1939); Okayama University (1949);
Osaka University (1931); Tohoku
University (1907) at Sendai; the
University of Tokyo (1877); and the
University of Tsukuba (1973). Major
private institutions include Hosei
University (1880), Nihon University
(1889), and Waseda University (1882),
in Tokyo; Doshisha University (1875) in
Kyoto; Fukuoka University (1934); and
Kansai University (1886) in Osaka. In
1995, institutions of higher education in
Japan had a combined enrolment of
over 2.5 million students.
JAPANESE GOAL
IN EDUCATION
In the l960's educational growth was regarded as being ultimately for economic growth.
When economic growth had reached a high level, however, it became clear that it alone was
not the final goal of human society.
The May 1970, Ministerial Council of OECD made it clear that the goal of thel970's is to
improve the quality of life through the remarkable economic developments of the 1960's, and
the Conference on Policies for Educational Growth called for a growth in quality during the
1970's just as quantitative expansion had been made during the 1960's. It is also considered
very important that educational growth be conceived in terms of the overall qualitative
growth of the society. Thus there can be no educational goals apart from overall social goals,
and without such goals there can be no specific policies or plans. Therefore the educational
goals and objectives of the l970's should be considered in relation to each nation's overall
goals and objectives.
In thinking about education in the 1970's the concept of "recurrent education", i.e. education
beyond formal school education, must be considered. The basic idea of recurrent education is
that in a rapidly changing society it has become insufficient merely to attend school for a
limited number of years, learning a specified amount of information; rather, it is essential to
continue learning from childhood to the end of life.
In light of this, pre-school education, out-of-school education, and post-school education are
all very important. School education should be conceived of as a single link in a lifetime of
education.
(a) Equality of opportunityWhen public education was available to only a limited number of people the
great objective was to expand the opportunities to receive public education. NOW, however, at least in
terms of elementary and secondary education, almost the entire population in most major nations has
access to public education. In this sense the objective or expanding public education has been achieved.
In terms or higher education too, as a percent of the total age group, those receiving higher education has
grown tremendously during the 1960's and this will probably increase, but at present there seems to be a
general balance between social demand and opportunity.
Equality of access to public education does not necessarily mean equality in benefit from public
education. This' raises the question of providing equality of achievement, meaning that the problem is no
longer one of quantity but one of quality. The present task is to secure true educational equality by
creating opportunities for each individual to obtain equal achievement.

(b) EffectivenessIn order to achieve the goals of education, educational effectiveness must be a major
objective. When economic growth was being emphasized, training manpower as rapidly as possible was
considered an educational objective by some people. But just as quality of growth is seen as more
important in the l970's, so effectiveness of education must also be reemphasized.
The most important factor in improving the effectiveness of education is the teacher. Training high
quality teachers and improving their status is imperative if.1effectiveness is to be improved, and this is a
primary task for all countries in carrying out educational reform.
(c) SocializationEducation acts as a bridge between the individual and society. Rapid
economic growth, technological advances and social change have, during the last three
decades, entirely transformed the relationship between the individual and society, and
changed the social framework for the individual as well. Therefore it is necessary to reform
curriculums, teaching methods and the relationship between school and society so as to
provide an education stressing subjectivity and autonomy while enabling youth to adapt to
society.
Whether an individual can play a constructive role in the society of the future depends on his
self-consciousness and educational achievement much more than was true in the past. In
other words carrying out the socializing role of education to a great extent means carrying out
a process of individualization.

(d) Individual developmentThe objectives pointed out above are all related to the central
problem of individual development. One of the most important problems of contemporary
education is an educating individual to fit in with the new era. Educational structure,
curriculum, and teaching methods should all focus on the education of creative individuals
within this new pattern.
ROLE OF THE TEACHER
In Japan, a teacher (sensei) is conscious of the expectations of his work that are
predominant in the public. He is not only expected to assure the children’s right to
receive education, but also to have to fulfil a huge scope of duties holding a wider
role and responsibility than in the West.

Japanese teachers work very hard and often feel overworked because of an
enormous number of lessons a week and the additional tasks inside and outside
school. Some even fear “karoshi”, meaning death from overwork. In 1993, the time
of classroom teaching was 16.8 hours for high-school teachers, 19.7 hours for
middle-school teachers and 26.5 hours a week for primary-school teachers. This is
in fact not too much but Japanese teachers also have a lot of supplementary tasks.
For example, high- and middle-school teachers are often required to give additional
lessons in which students are prepared for the 'examination hell' (the flood of
entrance examinations to higher-level schools or universities) or to supervise
students’ club-activities which take place in the afternoon Another difference,
compared to Western countries, is the excessive number of students per class.
Teachers often face more than 35 in primary and middle school and they have to
teach very heterogeneous classes (according to the students’ abilities) because of
the missing separation at Japanese schools.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTIONS
Teaching methods are used, including: teacher-directed
learning, student research, group projects and
presentations, visual presentations, e-learning and
interactive classrooms. A variety of assessment methods
are used to assess student outcomes. These may include
individual research projects, group assignments, oral and
visual presentations, the use of technology including
PowerPoint, podcast presentations, as well as the more
traditional class tests and assignments. National and state
testing programs ensure standards are met and
maintained.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTIONS
CURRICULUM
NATIONAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM
oMIDDLE SCHOOL
JAPANESE
oELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS
JAPANESE
SOCIAL STUDIES SOCIAL STUDIES
MATHEMATICS SCIENCE
SCIENCE ENGLISH
MUSIC AND ARTS MUSIC
HANDICRAFTS AND ART
HOMEMAKING PHYSICAL EDUCATION
PHYSICAL EDUCATION. FIELD TRIPS
CLUBS AND HOMEROOM TIME
NATIONAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM

oHIGH SCHOOL
oTHE CONTENT MAY CONTAIN GENERAL OR HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS
DEPENDING ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOLS.
oHIGH SCHOOLS MAY BE CLASSED INTO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES:
ELITE ACADEMIC HIGH SCHOOLS
NON-ELITE ACADEMIC HIGH SCHOOLS
VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS
CORRESPONDENCE HIGH SCHOOLS
EVENING HIGH SCHOOL
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology prepares
guidelines containing basic outlines of each subject taught in Japanese
schools and the objectives and content of teaching in each grade. Revised
every 10 years or so, these guidelines are followed by schools nationwide.
All elementary, junior high, and high schools are obliged to use text books
that have been evaluated and approved by the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The purpose of the official
authorization system, which has been in effect since 1886, is the
standardization of education and the maintenance of objectivity and neutrality
on political and religious issues. A system of free distribution of textbooks for
compulsory education was established in 1963. The textbooks used in each
public school district are chosen from among governmentauthorized
candidates by the local board of education based on a review by the
prefectural board of education. At private schools, the school principal is
responsible for the choice.

CURRICULUM
TEACHING STRATEGIES
It is the aim of all Japanese teachers to give their students a
learning experience which they find enjoyable and satisfying.
The learning experience occurs largely in the classroom, so we
must look for the most effective ways of building meaningful
communication within the classroom, in the hope that learners
will extend their skills and understandings beyond the
classroom.
These webpages give teachers some useful strategies for
promoting use of the target language in the classroom and
thereby helping their students to become confident and
effective communicators in Japanese.

TEACHING STRATEGIES
Benefits of using the target language
Maximises learning
In school, language lesson time is limited, so it is important to use the time
effectively and expose learners to as much language as possible. The
classroom setting provides an opportunity for learners to relate the language
they are learning to a real life situation.
Presents teacher as a role model
If the teacher conducts the lesson in the target language, it gives learners a strong
message that their language study is valid. If the teacher does not use the
target language, learners may get a mixed message about the value of their
study.
Creates an authentic intercultural environment
If the target language is used in class, learners are able to participate meaningfully
in intercultural experiences and to learn to communicate in inter- culturally
appropriate ways.
Provides rich and varied Japanese input
If the teacher provides rich and varied Japanese input in class, learners are
encouraged to experiment in purposeful interaction in Japanese and thereby
build their skills and confidence.

TEACHING STRATEGIES
REFLECTION
Why is Japan successful in the field of education? It’s mainly because they have a
standardized and demanding curriculum, teaching approaches that encourages
student Engagement, they give importance on school-home communication,
long schooling hours And additional schooling, teacher quality, carefully targetted
financial resources, and focus on equity.

As future teachers, we need to educate ourselves in a way that we can be

called Global Teachers. With wide-range of knowledge that is not based only locally
but internationally and worldwide. Have you come across an experienced teacher
with Various Personal experience on different cultures and knowledge?
Such a model. And very influencing.

If we were able to come up with different features with Japan and Philippines’
Educational system, inspiration may come to our mind on how to be globally
competitive ourselves and for our future students as well.
COMPARE
&
CONTRAST