-The Japanese school year begins in April, not in September like in the United States and other countries. The first term runs to around July 20, when summer vacation begins. Kids return to school in early September for the second term, which lasts until about December 25. The final term begins in early January and continues to late March.
-Most people think spring - when life begins anew - is the perfect time to start new things. Early April is also the time when cherry blossoms are in full bloom. So when people think about entrance to new schools and the start of a career, they often conjure up images of these beautiful blossoms. There are some who want to change the school year so that it starts in September. They say that this will make it easier for students in other countries to come and study here and for Japanese students to attend schools abroad. But because spring is so closely associated with new beginnings, the school year will probably continue to start in April.
-Most public schools have classes five days a week. Schools start 8:30am and end at 3-3:30pm. Some private schools also have classes on Saturday mornings. Once at school, the students usually enter an area full of small lockers in which they place their street shoes and put on school slippers.These slippers may be color coded: pink for girls and blue for boys. Many schools have a weekly school-wide assembly. Then students assemble in their homeroom classes for the day's studies. The school day starts with classroom management tasks, such as taking attendance and making announcements. These activities usually are conducted by the students themselves on a rotating duty schedule called "toban." Each homeroom has an averages of 35-45 students. Students don't change classrooms during the day or take any self study classes in their homeroom. Teachers visit the homeroom to give lessons. Only for physical education, laboratory classes, or other subjects requiring special facilities do students move to different parts of the school. Class periods are 50 minutes long and students usually have 10 minute breaks between class periods, classrooms can be noisy, and a one hour lunch break. Students don't go home for lunch, but either eat a packed lunch (Obento) from home consisting of foods prepared by the mother in the early morning hours, such as rice, fish, eggs, vegetables and pickles, or buy lunch at the school canteen or vendors, or eat at the school cafeteria, some schools have cafeterias but most do not. Even in schools where a lunch is prepared and provided to the students, they usually eat together in their homeroom classrooms. Japanese students clean their schools and have cleaning periods (called 掃除, o soji) either after lunch or in the evening after classes and it usually lasts 45 minutes.
-Japanese students spend 240 days a year at school, 60 days more than their American counterparts. Although many of those days are spent preparing for annual school festivals and events such as Culture Day, Sports Day, and school excursions, Japanese students still spend considerably more time in class than American students. Traditionally, Japanese students have attended school for half a day on Saturdays; however, the number of required Saturdays each month is decreasing as the result of Japanese educational reforms. Students in academic high schools typically take three years each of the following subjects: mathematics, social studies, Japanese, science, and English. Other subjects include physical education, music, art, and moral studies. All the students in one grade level study the same subjects.Some elective classes are Calligraphy, Judo, Kendo etc. but there are very few. All classes, including English, are taught in Japanese. Some schools have Chinese or Korean classes which are also taught in Japanese.
-Club activities take place after school every day. Teachers are assigned as sponsors, but often the students themselves determine the club's daily activities. Students can join only one club, and they rarely change clubs from year to year. In most schools, clubs can be divided into two types: sports clubs (baseball, soccer, judo, kendo, track, tennis, swimming, softball, volleyball, rugby) and culture clubs (English, broadcasting, calligraphy, science, mathematics, yearbook). New students usually are encouraged to select a club shortly after the school year begins in April. Clubs meet for two hours after school each day and many clubs continue to meet during school vacations. Club activities provide one of the primary opportunities for peer group socialization.
-Most Japanese schools require uniforms and the style differs in each school. Each school has a unique uniform that makes its students easily identifiable to the public. Some schools designate gym suits, shoes, canvas shoes for wearing indoors, etc.The uniforms usually have the school colors on the skirt and ties, the button down shirts and the school jackets usually have the school name and emblem. Japanese schools also have a custom of having students attach their name tags on their left breast pockets. There are two types of uniforms; one for late fall, winter, and early spring and another one for late spring, summer and early fall. The winter uniform is thicker and is accompanied by a jacket. The summer uniform is lighter for the hot days.
 |
| Seems like school rules can't stop these girls though! |
-The more you know~
No comments:
Post a Comment