Training
 Already at the turn of the 1900s, virtually all adult
literacy was in Japan, and Japan has long been considered
the world's most educated population. Higher education has
traditionally high status, and even in modern Japan, a
degree from one of the highest-ranked universities is an
entry ticket to the most sought after and fastest careers.
During the post-war period, education up to high school has
come to be characterized by extremely tough competition.
Most parents are prepared to prioritize a long and expensive
education for their children over almost everything else in
the household budget. About half of the high school students
continue to university and college studies.
Most children now attend preschool at the age of 3-5.
Preschools are often private and they have gradually become
increasingly school-like in their demands for achievement.
However, a curriculum from 2008 states that learning in
preschool should be based on play.
The compulsory, free schooling is nine years old and
starts at the age of six. It includes a six-year primary
school and a three-year lower secondary school (equivalent
to Swedish high school). Almost all primary schools are
municipal, while private schools are more common at higher
levels. The school year starts in April and consists of
three semesters. Since 2002, five-day week has been
completed.
For the first six years the children are trained to work
together and work as a group. On the schedule are the
internationally used subjects but also training in
traditional Japanese art types such as calligraphy and haiku
poetry. All children should also be able to play two
instruments. In primary school, students will learn just
over half of the approximately 2,000 characters needed in
everyday life. In year four, the student learns the Western
alphabet. In the lower secondary school, school work is
gradually becoming more and more focused on ensuring that
the individual student gets good results on the degree that
gives entry to the high school. Teaching in English started
earlier in the seventh school year but starts year five from
2012.
It is very important to get high marks on the entrance
exam. It is required to enter a high-ranking high school
with stiff competition for the places. However, large extra
efforts are required. The students participate in courses in
the school in their spare time and usually they also attend
expensive courses in private preparation schools (juku)
where they are trained for the degree. Weak pupils cannot
count on extra support in school. Their parents, if they can
afford it, must pay for extra evening lessons. Thus, there
is a thorough sorting of the young people already at the age
of 12-15.
The vast majority of Japanese youth (96% in 2006)
continue to study in high school. Most colleges are
three-year-olds, with college preparatory or more
professional study programs, but there are also five-year
technical colleges. Furthermore, there are four-year evening
gymnasiums and also distance education for young people who
have already started working during the day and for adults
who want to study further. High school studies are subject
to fees, and at that level the pressure is further
increasing on students to pass the entrance exam to a
high-ranking university. Check topschoolsintheusa for test centers of ACT, SAT, and GRE as well high schools in the country of Japan.
In 2010, Japan had 95 national and 570 private
universities, plus several hundred colleges (junior
colleges) with 2-3 years of education. In addition, there
were several thousand special vocational colleges. In
particular, junior colleges provide education that is
traditionally intended for women (such as health care and
home economics). In 2007, the vast majority of college
students were women, but only 40% of the university
students. However, the traditional gender roles are changing
rapidly, and in 2011, the proportion of women at
universities was almost the same as the proportion of men.
At the elite university, men still constitute a large
majority.
Academic studies mean a quiet time without tough
competition. Time studies in the late 1990s showed that on
average, students spent less than two hours daily on
studies. Internationally, Japanese academic teaching does
not have the same high reputation as lower education, while
natural science research has been internationally prominent.
Since 1980, Japanese researchers have been awarded the Nobel
Prize in chemistry on six occasions and in physics and
medicine on each occasion. On a global ranking of
universities in 2011, the University of Tokyo (Todai) came
in 20th place and the University of Kyoto in 27th place.
The reduction in population in Japan means fewer and
fewer young people. It has become difficult for many
colleges and small universities to get enough students and
thus sufficient income. Government grants have also
declined. Several colleges have gone bankrupt and even small
universities on the outskirts of the country have been
forced to close down the business. At the same time, more
forms of entrance exam have been developed, especially at
the elite university competing for the best students. The
universities also strive to get more foreign students, but
not even at the elite university Todai was the proportion
higher than 7% in 2010.
Traditionally, Japanese school students have shown very
good results in international comparisons, especially in
science subjects and mathematics. At the same time, they
have been less good when it comes to investigative tasks
that require independent thinking and final ability. More
and more, employers are also complaining about young
people's lack of ability to speak and understand spoken
English. To counteract these weaknesses, a new school law
was adopted at the end of the 1990s with new curricula and
timetables for the compulsory school. The course content was
sharpened and the number of hours was increased, especially
in Japanese and mathematics.
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