The Japanese Education System in Constrast to the American Education System
The Japanese Education System in Contrast to the American Education System
Notes for Question Number One:
+ ???Children go to elementary school for 6 years ??¦. junior high for 3 years…??? p.116
+ both Japanese and American children go to school during similar hours, ???8:30-3:00pm???. p.116
+ School is from Monday-Friday, but Japanese children sometimes have school on Saturday.
+ Only have a two-week vacation before the next ???school year??? starts.
+ Periods are 50 minutes long.
+ ???Japanese students are in school about 240 days, compared to 180 days for most American students.??? p.116
+ Academic Japanese curriculum( social studies, mathematics, science, health, art, and physical education.
+ Vocational Japanese curriculum( different text books, less time spent on studying, trains the students for the job they want that does not require college.
+ Students stay in one classroom all day.
+ ???Japanese students take very difficult entrance exams to get into high school and college.??? p.7a
+ Students attend juku, or cram schools which you may go to everyday for 3 hours to study for entrance exams.
+ ???Some Japanese youths dislike the system??¦produces such stress that a desperate student will commit suicide rather than try and fail.??? p.15
+ ???February and March when exams are given is sometimes called juken jigoku, or ???exam hell??™.??? p.119
+ ???Students sometimes attend the same school for elementary, junior high and senior high school.??? p.7
+ Students are responsible in the duty of cleaning classrooms, desks, et cetera; thus, there are no janitors in Japanese schools.
+ Teaching techniques are fairly different: the Japanese are more ???drills and repetition??? learners, rather than the American class participations and discussions.
+ Some Japanese classes involve ???picking flowers, catching frogs and insects, raising rabbits, and watching falling stars.??? p.2
Notes for Question Number Two:
+ Kumis are often together for years, sometimes all the way through high school, too.
+ Kumis are meant to make the students feel integral.
+ In the U.S. we don??™t stay in our homerooms all day.
+ ?????¦most Japanese youth enjoy school and value the time they have to be with their friends, whether in class, walking home, or attending cram school.??? p. 32
+ The students in a kumi may also ???take part in athletic activities, musical events, or overnight field trips.??? p. 3
+ ???In many junior highs, for example, kumis take part in choral competitions: each kumi chooses a class song, practices it for several months, and presents it as a part of a long singing contests. In high schools, there is an annual Cultural Festival, where the kumis perform skits.??? p. 3
+ ???They also participate in special events that teach them group loyalty.??? p.3
+ There is NO crime in Japanese schools.
+ Working as a team, these lessons ???teach Japanese students to work together and to take pride in their kumi and their school.??? p.3
+ ???At many schools, a student can join only one club a year and must stay in that club for the whole year. This rule teaches the students to be committed, to see themselves as part of the group, and to develop strong relationships.??? p. 3
+ ???Club activities include sports such as basketball, baseball, tennis, and swimming.??? p.3
+ Art and music clubs don??™t meet as often, maybe once a week rather than several times a week.
+ ?????¦spend a lot of time making friendships that will last a lifetime and be useful in one??™s career and private life.??? p. 32
Notes for Question Three:
Involvement of Parents:
+ ???Most parents will do almost anything to help their children get a good education.??? p. 2
+ It??™s mostly Japanese mothers that are actively involved with their child??™s education.
+ ???Most mothers help their children with their homework, encourage them to study for many hours, and urge them to attend juku.??? p. 2
+ ???Mothers also visit their children??™s class, or invite teachers to their home to learn how their children are doing in school.??? p.2
+ ???Some Japanese mothers get so involved in their children??™s education that the Japanese calls them Kyoiku Mama, which means ???education mother??™ in Japanese.??? p.2
+In most cases, the parents are willing to pay the large amount of money for their child to attend the best schools, juku, and/ or college.
+ In some schools, teachers have like a tea or brunch with the parents of a student as they inform the parents about the progress or no progress of their child.
+ Teacher visitations are usually once a year.
+ ???Children who do well in school are generally thought to be fulfilling their obligations to the family.??? p. 15
+ ???Education is held in high regard and is seen as a critical element in achieving a better life; it is supported by strong parents.??? p. 32