EDUCATION SYSTEM IN JAPAN

The basic school system in Japan is composed of elementary school (lasting six years), middle
school (three years), high school (three years), and university (four years). Education is compulsory
only for the nine years of elementary and middle school, but 98% of students go on to high school.
Students usually have to take exams in order to enter high schools and universities. Recently some
middle and high schools have joined together to form single, six-year schools.

WHAT CHILDREN LEARN

Japanese children enter the first grade of elementary school in the April after their sixth birthday.
There are around 30 to 40 students in a typical elementary school class. The subjects they study
include Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, and home
economics (to learn simple cooking and sewing skills). More and more elementary schools have
started teaching English, too. Information technology is increasingly being used to enhance
education, and most schools have access to the Internet.

Students also learn traditional Japanese arts like shodo (calligraphy) and haiku. Shodo involves
dipping a brush in ink and using it to write kanji (characters that are used in several East Asian
countries and have their own meanings) and kana (phonetic characters derived from kanji) in an
artistic style. Haiku is a form of poetry developed in Japan about 400 years ago. A haiku is a short
verse of 17 syllables, divided into units of five, seven, and five syllables. Haiku uses simple
expressions to convey deep emotions to readers.

SCHOOL LIFE
In Japanese elementary schools, classes are divided into small teams for many activities. For
example, as part of their education, every day the students clean the classrooms, halls, and yards of
their school in these teams. In many elementary schools, the students eat lunch together in their
classrooms, enjoying meals prepared by the school or by a local "school lunch center." Small teams
of students take turns to serve lunch to their classmates. School lunches contain a rich variety of
healthy and nutritious foods, and students look forward to lunchtime.

There are many school events during the year, such as sports day when students compete in events
like tug-of-war and relay races, excursions to historical sites, and arts and culture festivals featuring
dancing and other performances by children. Students in the highest grades of elementary, middle,
and high schools also take trips lasting up to several days to culturally important cities like Kyoto and
Nara, ski resorts, or other places.

Most middle and high schools require students to wear uniforms. Boys generally wear pants and
jackets with stand-up collars, and girls wear two-piece suit with sailor collar or blazers and skirts.
CLUB ACTIVITIES
Almost all middle school students take part in an extracurricular club activity of their choice, such as
a sports team, a musical or arts group, or a science club.

Baseball clubs are very popular among boys. Soccer (football) clubs are also gaining popularity.
Judo clubs, where kids train in this traditional martial art, attract boys and girls. They may be inspired
by the many great Japanese judo athletes, both male and female, who have won medals at the
World Judo Championships and the Olympic Games. Other popular sports clubs include tennis,
basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball. In every sport, many games are held between schools and at
the regional level, so students have plenty of opportunities to compete.

Among cultural clubs, meanwhile, one that has lately gained popularity is the go club. Go is a
strategic board game played with black and white stones. After a manga (comic book) about the
game was published, more and more schoolchildren started enjoying go. Other options for students
include choir and art clubs. Brass band, tea ceremony, and flower arrangement clubs are also
popular.

LUNCH SCHOOL
From Monday through Friday, schoolchildren attending elementary and middle schools have lunches
prepared for them in the classroom. The students take turns serving portions. The meals are healthy
and well-balanced, containing all the nutrients and calories required for the healthy growth of
youngsters.

The lunches are full of variety, featuring a whole range of meats, fishes, vegetables, and sea plants.
A typical meal consists of stew or curry, boiled vegetables, a sandwich, and salad.

Milk is served with each meal. Usually, there is also dessert, such as gelatin, ice cream, and fruit.
SCHOOL BEGIN AND END
Japanese elementary and middle schools begin around eight thirty.

On Monday, at the beginning of each week, a morning assembly is held before classes begin.
Everyone attends the fifteen-minute assembly, and the principal addresses the student body. On
other days of the week this time is spent in making announcements and taking attendance in each
classroom. After this, classes begin.

Each class lasts between 40 and 45 minutes in elementary school and 50 minutes in middle school.
Students are given a 5- to 10-minute break between consecutive classes. During the morning hours
there are four classes, and many elementary schools also include a 20-minute recess.

Lunch time starts at twelve thirty and lasts for about 40 minutes. At public schools, where school
meals are provided, the students are responsible for carrying the meals to their classroom - where
they eat - and serving portions, and for cleaning up afterwards.

After lunch it's time for recess, which is about 20 minutes long. Some schools use this time for
cleaning the classrooms: The students move the desks and chairs to one side of the room, then
broom and wipe the floor, clean the blackboard, and throw away the trash. Afternoon classes begin
after the cleaning.

In lower elementary school classes are only in the mornings, and the children go home after lunch.
But in upper elementary school and higher there are five classes each day; middle school students
even attend six classes on some days of the week.

Elementary school students can choose from a wide variety of after-school clubs, which usually
meet once a week. Through club activities the students have the opportunity to receive training in
sports, or to deepen their understanding of subjects that interest them. Elementary school students
in Japan usually leave school at around three o'clock.

Once the students enter middle school, though, extracurricular activities take on a bigger role: Some
clubs meet several times a week, or even everyday, and on some days the students won't leave
school until around five o'clock.

VACATION
Public elementary and middle schools are closed on national holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Japanese schools have three semesters, separated by vacations.

At most schools, summer vacation covers the 40-odd days from July 20 to August 31; winter and
spring vacation both last around 10 days, from December 26 to around January 6 and March 25 to
around April 5, respectively. The new school year starts in April, at the end of spring vacation.