Name: Jan Albert A.

Navarro Year/Section: BEED 103

“The Educational System in Japan”

(Response or Reaction Paper)

Every country in the globe has some type of educational system in place, yet they all
differ substantially. Wanny Milaine Santos published his video on YouTube about the
Japanese educational system on the 27 th of Jun 2016, he points out that the Japanese school
system primarily consists of the 6-3-3-4 system, six-year elementary schools, three-year
lower secondary/Junior high schools, and three-year upper secondary/High schools,
followed by two-or-three-year junior colleges or four-year colleges. Compulsory education
lasts for 9 years through elementary and junior high school. At first, he includes that the
Japanese government implements “gimukyoiku” which mandates every Japanese needs to
finish elementary and lower secondary/junior high school levels. Most students attend
public schools through lower secondary school. However, private schools are popular at
upper secondary and university levels.

Preschools are referred to as “Yochien” and “Hoikuen” and not an official part of the
Japanese school system, it emphasizes necessary life habits and working independently.
Elementary education referred to as the "Shogakko," focuses on arithmetic and the sciences
because English language instruction becomes required in the 5 th and 6th grades,
elementary education in Japan places a strong emphasis on the Japanese language subject
and "keigo" (formal speaking to seniors and elders). Elementary education in Japan has no
charge for tuition, but there is a fee for school supplies, school lunches, and books. Lower
secondary/Junior high school referred to as “Chugakko” Covers the seventh up to ninth
grades and focuses on extra-curricular activities that are given more attention. While upper
secondary/High school referred to as “kotogakko” is not compulsory because 94% of junior
high school graduates still advance to upper secondary.
 However, Japan is one of the best in educated populations, with 100% enrollment in
compulsory grades with zero illiteracy, 96% in upper secondary school, and also they
produce a high amount of graduates every year, with a 100% graduation rate in
elementary, 96% in secondary school, and 40% graduation in college. Wanny Milaine
Santos also includes in his video the average school days in Japan that only last for 6 hours,
and vacations are 6 weeks during summer, and also 2 weeks for winter and spring breaks.

One of my reactions to the video is that Japan is one of the world’s best-educated
populations. They focus not just the academics but also on their cultural belief, behavior,
and discipline. The country's literacy rate is typically stated to be 99% with an emphasis on
the holistic development of students to gain mastery in a number of academic disciplines
and their performance in mathematics and sciences. It is seemingly inspiring that; they
produce a high amount of graduates every year.

According to the Statista Research Department on the 12 th of May 2020 says that in
the school year 2020, the enrollment rate of children in Japan for compulsory education
reached close to 100 percent. Compulsory education refers to education that the
government and parents in Japan are required to provide to children in the period from the
first up until the ninth grade in junior high school.

Japan’s adult literacy rate is at around 99 percent. According to the results of OECD’s
PISA Programmed, Japanese fifteen-year-olds showcased high levels of education in the
international comparison, scoring higher than the OECD standard in all rounds of
assessment. The students especially excelled in scientific subjects, reaching mean scores of
almost 530 points in both mathematics and science, respectively.
 I, therefore, conclude that the Japanese education system is one of the best-educated
populations around the world because the educational system in Japan is based on
conformity and is very competitive. The way that the Japanese education system works has
some ways that align with how the brain learns. The uniqueness of Japan's education
begins with the way their schooling is set up. Schools are much more open to the
community. When members of the community are more involved in schools, the quality of
education improves.

Cooperation between schools and the community has been promoted by inviting
members of the public into schools as volunteers, lecturers teachers’ aides, and school
committee members. A large pool of educated homemakers and retirees can help teach
children after school in order to improve their educational standing.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjTq9nFMTsQ&t=30s

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1189581/japan-attendance-rate-students-by-type-of-institution/
#:~:text=Qualities%20of%20the%20Japanese%20educational,is%20at%20around%2099%20percent
https://education.jnto.go.jp/en/school-in-japan/japanese-education-system