みんな、久しぶりです！Hello everyone, long time no see! I know that it's been an unacceptably long time since my last update but boy do I have a doozy of an update for you today. Unfortunately, coronavirus has put a damper on any travel plans so there hasn't been much to write about. However, it's that time of year again! That's right. Graduation! Since graduation from middle school into high school is a majorly important process for Japanese students, I wanted to write about exactly how difficult it can be. Japanese students face a lot more of a hardship in regards to their education/education processes than American students.
Generally, in America you just go to whichever high school your family enrolls you in. There are exceptions of course but we can make generalizations and say that it's more of the norm. In Japan, it's completely different. Students have to study much harder, much earlier to be able to set their path towards their futures. Below you'll find some information to help you understand what they and the schools go through. This is especially helpful for any current or incoming ALTs that may not speak Japanese very well or don't really know what to expect during their first year in a JHS.
Japanese High Schools
Types of Schools
In Japan, since the exam day for all public high schools is the same, students graduating from JHS can only pick one public high school and as many private schools as they'd like from the school district of their choosing. They then take these schools examinations. All high schools in a school district are ranked according to their success in sending graduates to prestigious colleges.
High schools in Japan can be separated into one of the following categories:
- Elite academic - public or private
- Usually only the top scoring students of every JHS can get into these high schools. These schools tend to send their graduates to the top universities in the country.
- These schools are ranked higher than technical, commercial, or agricultural schools.
- Non-elite academic - public or private
- These schools still prepare their graduates for universities or junior/specialization colleges. They are not ranked as highly as the elite schools.
- This is what America would consider a "main-stream" high school.
- Vocational
- These schools offer courses in commerce, technical subjects, agriculture, home sciences, nursing, and fishery. Approximately 60% of these high school students enter full-time employment after graduating.
- Correspondence
- These schools usually have a very low percentage (less than 2% I believe) of students attending them because they are mainly here to offer education to students that missed out on high school for various reasons.
- Evening school
- In the past, these schools offered classes to students that were ambitious but too poor to afford high school (Yes, they pay for high school. More on that later!) so that they could work during the day.
- Now, however, these schools are usually attended by little-motivated students in the lowest percentiles of the Japanese education system.
School in Japan is daunting, in my personal opinion, for the fact that JHS students (12-15 years old) must decide which high school to attend based on their school grades and test scores. If they are unable to get into a good high school (or the one they want), they won't be able to attend higher ranking universities. They also won't be able to have as many job opportunities available to them, since employers rely heavily on education credentials as main criteria for recruitment.
This school system really is based on a "tournament mobility theory", which means that only the "early winners" get better chances in the next stage of selection (or life).
Public vs Private High Schools
One of the main differences between public and private schools are the cost. Usually, public high school in Japan costs about 120,000 yen (~$1200) per year. Private schools can cost upwards of 300,000 yen ($2800) per year. This isn't including any additional costs such as their uniforms or anything relating to club activities. Some students even continue their 塾 (Juku - cram school) in high school as well, which is another additional cost.
There are exceptions however. For example, one of my girls is one of the highest ranking JHS softball players in the Prefecture. Her school of choice offered her free tuition to attend and play softball for them.
While public schools are basically an 3 year extension of the 3 years of JHS, some elite private schools offer JHS/HS combination 6-year college prep curriculums. This means that if the school a student wants to go to is one of these 6-years, there are less spots available for the high school track since affiliated JHS students move directly into that school. Private high schools may even have the benefit of being "escalator" schools, which means their students may automatically go on to private universities, like the prestigious Keio University.
Admission to High School
Admission to high schools in Japan are based on entrance exam scores, grades, and face-to-face interviews.
Early on in the students' 3rd and final year of JHS, students, their parents, and their teachers (usually homeroom teacher) sit down and do placement counseling. This means they try to match each student with the perfect high school based on which school's criteria they meet. Homeroom teachers move with the students all 3 years of JHS, so they know them very well. They can talk about the student's interests, future dreams, and the parents' preferences and present the odds of passing the exams based upon the student's grades and mock exam scores.
It may be a bit discouraging because some students may find out that their odds of passing their first choice high school's exam aren't very high and they may have to go for their second or even third choice. Unfortunately, this means that students aren't sorted out to high schools based on their future life plan, but by academic achievement.
The Entrance Exams
There are multiple different types of entrance exams.
Regular Entrance Exams
- Regular entrance exams for private schools usually test students on 3 subejcts: English, Math, and Japanese. These are called 三教科 (Sankyouka - 3 subject) for this reason.
- Regular entrance exams for public schools usually test students on 5 subjects and are called 五教科 (Gokyouka - 5 subjects): English, Math, Japanese, Science, and Social Studies.
After that, there are even more subcategories.
- 単願推薦 (Tangan Suisen - Single)
- This is the exam for the student's first choice school. It is possible to do this exam for 1 private and 1 public school.
- To apply for this test, students need a certain number of "points" from their 3rd year report cards. For example, if a school requires 38 points min. and a student does well and gets 5 points for each of their 9 subjects, they will have a total of 45 points. This means they could apply for that school's test.
- A teacher will have to recommend them to the school. This is discussed during the parent-teacher-student meetings.
- This is possibly the hardest type of exam. If a student does pas, they must pay entrance fees immediately and they HAVE to attend that high school. It is basically an agreement when applying for this type of test and if the student is accepted but declines, it will give the JHS a bad name and that high school may possibly not accept any students from that JHS for several years.
- 併願推薦 (Heigan Suisen)
- This type of test is like a student's safety net. The school will hold an opening for the student should they pass the exam while they test for their top choice.
- This is like a regular entrance exam but you can postpone paying entrance fees until after other exam results have been provided.
- スポーツ (Supootsu - Sports)
- This is a specialty test. Students that are outstanding atheletes (or with some other outstanding talent) are scouted by high schools. This is what happened to the softball player previously mentioned.
- I believe schools will only scout top players if their scores also align well enough with their desired scores.
Students spend the entirety of their 3rd year studying for these exams. They study for hours after school as well and many students go to 塾 (Juku - Cram school). Many of my students have made time lapse videos of their studying and you can watch as the clock makes its rounds. Often up to 5.5-6 hours of studying. They work very hard and are often very tired because of it.
A Tentative Schedule
In their late 2nd year or early 3rd year of JHS, students may have the option of doing what's called Takienjyugyo. This is where students can try out a class at their prospective high schools. This counts towards extra points on your entrance exam if you choose to take that school's exam! They can also attend a 説明会 (setsumeikai), which is where students have the opportunity to have the schools explain their entrance procedures.
October/November of their 3rd year (their 3rd year begins in April): Students will narrow down their high school choices.
December: Students will receive their final grades for the 2nd semester. Their GPA will determine which schools they can attempt.
January: Students will do their 願書 (Gansho), which is the written/paper application for their chosen schools.
February: Entrance exams for public (公立 - Koritsu) and private (市立 - Shiritsu) schools.
Late February/Early March: Students will receive their exam results and will know if they got into their chosen school. Usually students come to the teacher's room and announce passing/getting into the school and thank the teachers of their grade level for helping them along the way.
Mid-March: Graduation
April: Entering high school
Conclusion
My students graduated on March 11th. It was bittersweet and I cried but I was so proud to see my kids moving on and passing their entrance exams. They're going to do amazing things! I got some letters from some of the kids and a teary hug from one of my favorite students. I wore my hakama and kimono so it was overall a wonderful experience! It was my second Japanese graduation but it felt more special because I had fostered a different/better relationship with these graduating students and I fully experienced it as a 3rd year teacher.
Overall, Japan really puts a lot of emphasis on graduation, especially from middle to high school. I hope you found this as interesting as I do! The differences between Japanese and American culture continue to astound me. Congratulations to all the middle school graduates and hope you have a wonderful time in high school!
お卒業おめでとうございます！
