Japan is considered to be one of the most educated nations in the world. They excel in literacy and numeracy skills at a very young age. The main reason behind the success of Japanese education is that they value the quality of the lessons the most rather than focusing on how much knowledge they can cramp in a study year. Students enroll in elementary school at the age of 6 or 7 and graduate their compulsory education at the age of 14 to 15 or senior high school at the age of 17 to 18. The school system is quite similar to European although the quality as well as after school activities bring something very different in Japan.
How is the education system in Japan
The school year in Japan starts in April, students who are 6 or 7 enroll in elementary school and they can finish their compulsory education at the age of 15 to 16. There are no study fees and the textbooks are free of charge, students only have to purchase uniforms, lunch, and additional materials. The same applies to foreign students, it is not mandatory for them to attend school, but if they wish to do so there are no charges. After completing the compulsory education students have a choice to do a 2-year special training in one of the specialties – cooking, engineering, agriculture, construction design, sports, and many more. At the age of 18, most of the students enroll in universities, academies, and colleges later on at the age of 24 some take up master studies, and at the age of 27 Ph.D. Japanese students are responsible and they will unlikely skip lessons, take gap years, or leave their studies completely, you will not see students turning up late or without homework. Teachers in Japan have a relatively easy time conducting their lessons as the students are very well behaved.
The Japanese school grades
Each school in Japan has its own grading system, most schools will either use a grading system from A-F, percentage 1-100% or shū-fuka.
Shū is the highest mark- it means excellent or 90-100% also marked with the letter S.
Yū –very good, it is marked with letter A (80-89%).
Ryō –good, it is marked with letter B (70-79%).
Ka –average, it is marked with letter C (60-69%).
Nin- approved, it is marked with letter D (50-59%).
Fuka- unacceptable, it is marked with letter F (0-59%).
Although the grading system from C to F exists it is very uncommon that a student will ever receive this mark. If a student received an F they must retake the course they have failed in the next semester.
In universities students require a minimum of 124 credits during their studies, 1 credit equals 45 study hours. Japanese schools and educational institutions require dedication in order to maintain the high academic standards, students will rarely receive the highest mark –Shū they will also rarely receive anything below the mark Ka and Nin.
What about the extracurricular activities
A normal weekday at a Japanese school is about 6 hours, but the homework, as well as afterschool activities, keep students busy for a few more hours. Students learn responsibility at a very young age, the classrooms are usually divided into small groups, and every week each group must take care and clean their classrooms as well as schoolyards, also scholars are obliged to help to serve and clean up after lunch.
Japanese education institutions are famous around the world for their food quality, students are always looking forward to their lunchtime. Same as around the world some activities include school trips, events organized at the school grounds, and other cultural events. About 90% of students in Japan take part in afterschool clubs, mostly it is sports, music, arts or science clubs. Young boys and some girls like to take part in football teams, martial arts or gymnastics each school has their own teams which compete against each other. Some students also like to join board game clubs, practice musical instruments, and painting, every after school activity is highly supported by the parents and some even put pressure on succeeding or making a career from the chosen activity.
