Japan is known for its well-maintained educational system and excellent achievement. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. In successive international tests of mathematics, Japanese children consistently rank at or near the top (see TIMSS)[1]. Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS is an international assessment of the mathematics and science knowledge of fourth- and eighth-grade students around the The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is responsible for educational administration. The, also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.
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History
Formal education in Japan began with the adoption of Chinese culture in the 6th century. The history of Education in Japan dates back at least to the sixth century when Chinese learning was introduced at the Yamato court Terakoya (寺子屋 which literally means "temple schools" were private educational institutions that taught writing and reading to the children of Japanese commoners during The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history Buddhist and Confucian teachings as well as sciences, calligraphy, divination and literature were taught at the courts of Asuka, Nara and Heian. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B The art of Calligraphy is widely practiced and revered in the East Asian Civilizations that use or used Chinese characters. Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining was one of the Imperial Capitals of Japan during the Asuka period ( 538 A is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. Scholar officials were chosen through an Imperial examination system. The Imperial examinations ( in Imperial China determined who among the population would be permitted to enter the state's Bureaucracy. But contrary to China, the system never fully took hold and titles and posts at the court remained hereditary family possessions. The rise of the bushi, the military class, during the Kamakura period ended the influence of scholar officials, but Buddhist monasteries remained influential centers of learning. is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 by the first Kamakura Shogun
During the Edo period (1603-1867), the daimyō vied for power in the largely pacified country. The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 The ( were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings Since their influence could not be raised through war, they competed on the economic field. Their warrior-turned-bureaucrat Samurai elite had to be educated not only in military strategy and the martial arts, but also agriculture and accounting. Likewise, the wealthy merchant class needed education for their daily business, and their wealth allowed them to be patrons of arts and science. But temple schools (terakoya) educated peasants too, and it is estimated that at the end of the Edo period 50% of the male and 20% of the female population possessed some degree of literacy. Terakoya (寺子屋 which literally means "temple schools" were private educational institutions that taught writing and reading to the children of Japanese commoners during Even though contact with foreign countries was restricted, books from China and Europe were eagerly imported and Rangaku ("Dutch studies") became a popular area of scholarly interest. Rangaku ( Kyūjitai: ja {{linktext 蘭 學}}/ Shinjitai: ja {{linktext 蘭学}} literally “Dutch Learning” and by extension “Western learning” is a body of
After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the methods and structures of Western learning were adopted as a means to make Japan a strong, modern nation. The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure Students and even high-ranking government officials were sent abroad to study, such as the Iwakura mission. The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy (ja 岩倉使節団 Iwakura Shisetsudan was a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs Foreign scholars, the so-called o-yatoi gaikokujin, were invited to teach at newly founded universities and military academies. Compulsory education was introduced, mainly after the Prussian model. The Prussian education system was a system of mandatory Education dating to the early 19th century By 1890, only 20 years after the resumption of full international relations, Japan already had enough western-educated academics to discontinue employment of the foreign consultants.
The rise of militarism led to the use of the education system to prepare the nation for war. refers to the Ideology in the Empire of Japan that Militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation and that the strength of the military is The military even sent its own instructors to schools. After the defeat in World War II, the allied occupation government set an education reform as one of its primary goals, to eradicate militarist teachings and "democratize" Japan. At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, British During World War II, many Japanese students were enlisted to actively help in the War effort, effectively turning schools into factories The education system was rebuilt after the American model.
The end of the 1960s were a time of student protests around the world, and also in Japan. The main subject of protest was the Japan-U.S. security treaty. The was signed between the United States and Japan in Washington DC on January 19, 1960. A number of reforms were carried out in the post-war period until today. They aimed at easing the burden of entrance examinations, promoting internationalization and information technologies, diversifying education and supporting lifelong learning.
Structure
Kindergarten and Nursery school
Early childhood education begins at home, and there are numerous books and television shows aimed at helping mothers of preschool children to educate their children and to "parent" more effectively. Child article read through the various talk pages for the debate -- it's been put on and removed twice Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency A home is a place of Residence or Refuge. It is usually a place where an individual or a family can rest in and be able to store Personal property. A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic "Mom" "Mum" and "Mommy" redirect here A parent is a Father or Mother; one who sires or gives Much of the home training is devoted to teaching manners, proper social behavior, and structured play, although verbal and number skills are also popular themes. In Biology, Psychology and Sociology social behavior is behavior directed towards society or taking place between members of the same species Play is a Rite and a quality of mind in engaging with one's worldview. A number is an Abstract object, tokens of which are Symbols used in Counting and measuring. Parents are strongly committed to early education and frequently enroll their children in preschools.
Kindergartens (yochien 幼稚園), predominantly staffed by young female junior college graduates, are supervised by the Ministry of Education, but are not part of the official education system. The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries The, also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government. The 58 percent of kindergartens that are private accounted for 77 percent of all children enrolled. In addition to kindergartens there exists a well-developed system of government-supervised day-care centers (hoikuen 保育園), supervised by the Ministry of Labor. The is one of Cabinet level ministries in the Japanese government. Whereas kindergartens follow educational aims, preschools are predominately concerned with providing care for infants and toddlers. Same as kindergartens there are public or privately run preschools. Together, these two kinds of institutions enroll well over 90 percent of all preschoolage children prior to their entrance into the formal system at first grade. The Ministry of Education's 1990 Course of Study for Preschools, which applies to both kinds of institutions, covers such areas as human relationships, environment, words (language), and expression. A word is a unit of Language that carries meaning and consists of one or more Morphemes which are linked more or less tightly together and has a Phonetic A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Starting from March 2008 the new revision of curriculum guidelines for kindergartens as well as for preschools came into effect.
Elementary school
More than 99% of children are enrolled in elementary school. Shōgakkō (小学校 are Elementary schools in Japan. More than 99% of Japanese elementary school-age children are enrolled in school All children enter first grade at age six, and starting school is considered a very important event in a child's life. First grade (called Grade 1 in some regions is a year of Education in the United States and other nations
Virtually all elementary education takes place in public schools; less than 1% of the schools are private. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and Private schools tended to be costly, although the rate of cost increases in tuition for these schools had slowed in the 1980s. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered Some private elementary schools are prestigious, and they serve as a first step to higher-level private schools with which they are affiliated, and thence to a university. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects
Junior high school
Lower secondary school covers grades seven, eight, and nine, children between the ages of roughly 12 and 15, with increased focus on academic studies. Secondary Education in Japan is split into Middle schools (中学校 chūgakkō) which cover the seventh through ninth years and High schools (高等学校 Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School Although it is still possible to leave the formal education system after completing kinender garden and find employment, fewer than 37% did so by the late 1980s.
Like elementary schools, most lower-secondary schools in the 1980s were public, but 5 % were private. Private schools were costly, averaging 558,592 yen (US$3,989) per student in 1988, about four times more than the 130,828 yen (US$934) that the ministry estimated as the cost for students enrolled in public lowersecondary schools. Teachers often majored in the subjects they taught, and more than 80 % graduated from a four-year college. Classes are large, with thirty-eight students per class on average, and each class is assigned a homeroom teacher who doubles as counselor. Unlike elementary students, lower-secondary school students have different teachers for different subjects. The teacher, however, rather than the students, moves to a new room for each fifty-minute period.
Instruction in lower-secondary schools tends to rely on the lecture method. Teachers also use other media, such as television and radio, and there is some laboratory work. By 1989 about 45 % of all public lower secondary schools had computers, including schools that used them only for administrative purposes. Classroom organization is still based on small work groups, although no longer for reasons of discipline.
All course contents are specified in the Course of Study for Lower-Secondary Schools. Some subjects, such as Japanese language and mathematics, are coordinated with the elementary curriculum. Others, such as foreign-language study, usually English, begin at this level. The curriculum covers Japanese language, social studies, mathematics, science, music, fine arts, health, and physical education. All students also are exposed to either industrial arts or homemaking. Moral education and special activities continue to receive attention. Many students also participate in after-school sport clubs that occupy them until around 6pm most weekdays.
A growing number of JHS students also attend Juku, private extra-curricular study schools, in the evenings and weekends. A focus by students upon these other studies and the increasingly structured demands upon students' time have been criticised by teachers and in the media for contributing to a decline in classroom standards and student performance in recent years.
The ministry recognizes a need to improve the teaching of all foreign languages, especially English. To improve instruction in spoken English, the government invites many young native speakers of English to Japan to serve as assistants to school boards and prefectures under its Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. or is a Japanese government initiative that brings college ( University) graduates—mostly Native speakers of English —to Japan as Assistant By 1988 participants numbered over 1,000. This program seems to being phased out in larger cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Sakai where the supply of foreign native speakers facilitates their employment through less expensive private English tuition providers.
High school
Even though upper secondary school is not compulsory in Japan, 99% of all lower secondary school graduates entered upper secondary schools as of 2005[2]. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School Private upper-secondary schools account for about 55 % of all upper-secondary schools, and neither public nor private schools are free . The Ministry of education estimated that annual family expenses for the education of a child in a public upper-secondary school were about 300,000 yen (US$2,142) in both 1980s and that private upper-secondary schools were about twice as expensive.
The most common type of upper-secondary schools has a fulltime, general program that offered academic courses for students preparing for higher education and also technical and vocational courses for students expecting to find employment after graduation. More than 70 % of upper-secondary school students were enrolled in the general academic program in the late 1980s. A small number of schools offer part-time or evening courses or correspondence education.
The first-year programs for students in both academic and commercial courses are similar. They include basic academic courses, such as Japanese language, English, mathematics, and science. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding In upper-secondary school, differences in ability are first publicly acknowledged, and course content and course selection are far more individualized in the second year. However, there is a core of academic material throughout all programs.
Vocational-technical programs includes several hundred specialized courses, such as information processing, navigation, fish farming, business English, and ceramics. Business and industrial courses are the most popular, accounting for 72 % of all students in full-time vocational programs in 1989.
Most upper-secondary teachers are university graduates. Uppersecondary schools are organized into departments, and teachers specialize in their major fields although they teach a variety of courses within their disciplines. Teaching depends largely on the lecture system, with the main goal of covering the very demanding curriculum in the time allotted. Approach and subject coverage tends to be uniform, at least in the public schools.
Training of disabled students, particularly at the uppersecondary level, emphasizes vocational education to enable students to be as independent as possible within society. Vocational training varies considerably depending on the student's disability, but the options are limited for some. It is clear that the government is aware of the necessity of broadening the range of possibilities for these students. Advancement to higher education is also a goal of the government, and it struggles to have institutions of higher learning accept more disabled students.
Universities and colleges
As of 1991, more than 2. For a history of higher education in Japan see Education in Japan. 1 million students were enrolled in 507 universities. At the top of the higher education structure, these institutions provide four-year training leading to a bachelor's degree, and some offer six-year programs leading to a professional degree. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and There are two types of public four-year colleges: the ninety-six national universities (including the University of the Air) and the thirty-nine local public universities, founded by prefectures and municipalities. As of 2007 there are 87 in Japan, while there are 89 Public universities and 568 Private universities. is a Distance learning University which has students all over Japan; it accepted its first students in 1985 A public university is a University that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government as opposed to private universities. For subsequent types of praefectura, see Prefect. Prefecture (from the Latin Praefectura) indicates the office A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or The 372 remaining four-year colleges in 1991 were private.
The overwhelming majority of college students attend full-time day programs. In 1990 the most popular courses, enrolling almost 40 percent of all undergraduate students, were in the social sciences, including business, law, and accounting. The social sciences comprise academic disciplines concerned with the study of the social life of human groups and individuals including Anthropology, Communication studies A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Accountancy or accounting is the measurement statement or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by Lenders managers, Other popular subjects were engineering (19 percent), the humanities (15 percent), and education (7 percent). Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and The humanities are academic disciplines which study the Human condition, using methods that are primarily Analytic, Critical, or Speculative Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency
The average costs (tuition, fees, and living expenses) for a year of higher education in 1986 were 1. 4 million yen (US$10,000). To help defray expenses, students frequently work part-time or borrow money through the government-supported Japan Scholarship Association. Assistance also is offered by local governments, nonprofit corporations, and other institutions.
According to The Times Higher Education Supplement, the two top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. Times Higher Education ( THE) formerly The Times Higher Education Supplement ( THES) is a magazine based The, abbreviated as, is a major Research university located in Tokyo, Japan. or is a major national university in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest university in Japan and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of [3]
See also
- Juku
- Yutori education
- JET Programme
- Japanese University Entrance Examinations
- Japanese school uniform
- Eikaiwa
References
- ^ PISA scores for 15 year olds in Japan, 2005:
- ^ STATISTICAL ABSTRACT 2006 edition(http://www.mext.go.jp/english/statist/index.htm)
- ^ The Times Higher Education Supplement World University Rankings (PDF). Gakushū juku (学習塾 Cram schools are special private schools (primarily in Japan) that offer lessons conducted after regular school hours and is a Japanese education policy which reduces the hours and the content of the Curriculum in Primary education. or is a Japanese government initiative that brings college ( University) graduates—mostly Native speakers of English —to Japan as Assistant For a history of higher education in Japan see Education in Japan. Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century Today School uniforms are almost universal in the public and private school systems TSL Education Ltd. (2005-10-28). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Retrieved on 2007-03-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates
Further reading
- Christopher P. Hood, Japanese Education Reform: Nakasone's Legacy, 2001, London: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-23283-X.
- David G. Hebert (2005). Music Competition, Cooperation, and Community: An Ethnography of a Japanese School Band. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Washington. Ann Arbor: Proquest/UMI.
- Kathleen S. Uno (1999). Passages to Modernity: Motherhood, Childhood, and Social Reform in Early Twentieth Century Japan. Hawai: University of Hawai'i Press.
External links
by Emma Anne Bell
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