I can't believe I even have to say this, but No Hotlinking Images.
40 Fun(?) Facts About Japanese Schools
- In Japan children go to elementary school (shougaku/小学) for 6 years (ichinen/一年, ninen/二年, sannen/三年, yonen/四年, gonen/五年, rokunen/六年), middle school (chuugaku/中学) for 3 years (ichinen/一年, ninen/二年, sannen/三年), high school (koukou/高校) for 3 years (ichinen/一年, ninen/二年, sannen/三年), and university (daigaku/大学) for 4 years (ichinen/一年, ninen/二年, sannen/三年, yonen/四年).
- Kindergarten (youchien/幼稚園) is optional, but available, and usually starts at age 3. Alternately, there is government-supervised day-care (hoikuen/保育園), which will also provide some preschool education.
- A typical Japanese elementary school class has around 30 to 40 students. Often times grades are split into multiple classes.
- Students may attend an optional cram school (juku/塾) at night.
- Only 9 years of education (elementary and middle school) is required.
- Although high school is optional, 97% of students go.
- The Japanese school year starts in April.
- Children start elementary school the April after their sixth birthday.
- There is no grade-skipping in any Japanese schools.
- Until April of 2002 public schools had a half day of school on Saturdays. Private schools may continue to do so.
- Japanese schools have three semesters, separated by vacations.
- Summer vacation is about 40 days long. It generally goes from about July 20th to August 31st.
- Winter vacation is about 10 days long and goes from December 26 to around January 6.
- Spring vacation is also about 10 days long and goes from March 25 to around April 5.
- Students have homework over summer and winter vacations.
- Public schools (kouritsugakkou/公立学校), at least, close on national holidays. Among these are a string of holidays in late April known as Golden Week.
- All private schools require tuition. Public elementary school is free, but parents are expected to provide for expenses like school lunches and supplies. Along with other expenses, like extra books and/or cram school, in 1987 the cost of public elementary education was around $1,771.10 (¥184,000) per child. Private schooling is even more expensive. Neither public nor private high schools are free. In the 1980's costs for public high schools was about $2,887.67 (¥300,000), and about twice as much for private schools.
- All Universities, most high schools, and some middle schools require entrance exams (nyuugaku-juken/入学試験). Some schools, particularly private schools, have an "elevator system" in which students can move up without taking exams.
- For students wanting to enter middle school, high school, or university the summer before graduation is very hectic because of preparations for the entrance exams, usually held in February.
- Students that fail entrance exams ("ronin"/浪人) may study at prep-schools (yobikou/予備校) and try again the next year. Whether or not this helps...
- Almost all schools, even public schools, require students to wear uniforms (seifuku/制服).
- There are winter and summer variations of each school's uniform. All students switch variations on the same day.
- Most schools have strict rules about hair color. Only a student's natural hair color is acceptable.
- Some rules for girls include no sheer hose, perms, makeup, nail polish or jewelry (except for a watch).
- In many public and private schools boys must keep their hair short. Also, no jewelry, except for a watch.
- Many private schools (gijuku/義塾) have rules saying that students must wear their uniform at all times, on or off campus. All buttons must be buttoned down. No folding or rolling up the sleeves. No buttons or decorations on the uniform.
- A student in uniform is a representative of the school, no "trouble-making" is tolerated. Within school hours or not, on campus or off, if a student is wearing the uniform they will be considered "in school."
- Usually, after 8 PM, a student must be out of uniform and at home - unless the student has a valid excuse (i.e. an after-school club, sports team, part time job, ect). (Or an assassin, apparently.)
- These are among the rules for private schools. Public schools do not have these rules. Students that do not wish to abide by these rules may quit and enter public school at any time.
- Children who go to public schools go to the school in their local district. Since most school districts are small, school buses usually aren't used (except for field trips) and parents don't drive their children, instead they walk to and from school. In Tokyo, this takes about 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
- The school day goes from around 8:30am to 3:00pm.
- The only lockers are for the students' outside shoes, anything else is kept in the classroom.
- Students stay in one classroom while the teachers are the ones to switch rooms.
- Students study subjects such as social studies (gendaishakai/現代社会), Japanese (kokugo/国語), math (suugaku/数学), science/technology (kagaku/kagakugijutsu/科学/科学技術), history (rekishi/歴史), healthy living (kenkou-seikatsu/健康生活), computer science (jouhou-kagaku/情報科学), music (ongaku/音楽), art (geijutsu/芸術), physical education (taiiku/体育), and home economics (kaseigaku/家政学), as well as learning traditional arts such as shodo/書道 (calligraphy) and haiku/俳句 (17-syllable poem with 3 lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables).
- English (eigo/英語) is also a required course. Originally it was taught in middle and/or high school. Now, more and more elementary schools have started teaching it.
- Every day students have "Daily Chores" (nicchoku/日直) they do, including cleaning the classrooms, halls, and yards of their schools.
- Almost all students take part in an extracurricular club activity such as a sports team, cultural club, a musical or arts group, or a science club. Examples include Baseball, Soccer (Football), American Football, Judo, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Choir, Cooking, Student Government, Chadou (Tea Ceremony), Photography, Kyuudou (Archery), Fencing, English, Computer, Cheerleading, Newspaper, Manga, Theater, and, apparently Hosting (j/k).
- School events include sports day, arts and culture festivals, and more.
- Students may also take trips (some times lasting several days) to important cities like Kyoto, landmarks & historical sites, or even ski resorts.
- Japanese schools do not have proms.
What Anime is that from?
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