Figure 1.--These Japan primary children wore uniforms in the 2000s. Notice the bright yellow caps and blazers without lapels. Uniforms are worn at many schools, but ,ost primary schools do not vhave uniforms. |
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Launching a modern educational system was on of the major reforms of the Meiji Emperor Emperor in the late 19th century. These were the first schools made available to the great mass of the Japanese public. Japanese officials modeled their new education system on European schools. Primary schools were established throughout Japan including the rural areas. Japanese children begin primary school at age 6. Virtually all Japanese children now attend primary school. Entering school is a very important event in every child's life. Parents buy a new suit or dress for the children and there is an elaborate ceremony at school for the new entrants. There are currently 6 years of primay school which mean children in the final years are 11-12 years old. Almost all primary education is provided through public education. Very few children are home schooled. Japanese law make this very difficult and the schools are both effective and safe. There are a small mumber of private schools. One estimate suggests that private schools educate only about 1 percent of Japanese children, one of the lowest ratios almong any democratic, industrial nation. Public education in Japan is free. There are, however, various school expenses for which parents are responsible. Primary school classes tend to be large. They are mormally larger than in America and Europe. They average about 31 children per class. This is not optimal, but possible in Japan because the children are generally well socialized at home by their parents before entering school. Teachers generally organize the children into work groups, both for academic and disciplinary reasons. Japanese teachers set high discipline standards and seek to inculcate a sense of individual responsibility. Schools appoint student monitors to enforce school rules. Japanese schools do not have janitors like American and European schools. Rather the children themselves are responsibe for cleaning both their classrooms and school common areas.
Launching a modern educational system was on of the major reforms of the Meiji Emperor Emperor which replaced the Shogunate in the late 19th century. The Government estanlished a Ministry of Education (MoE) which contructed a national educatioin system. The difference prefectures have only a limited role. The primary schoiols established by the MoE were the first schools made available to the great mass of the Japanese public. Japanese officials modeled their new education system on European schools. Primary schools were established throughout Japan including the rural areas. Japanese children begin primary school at age 6. Virtually all Japanese children now attend primary school.
Entering school is a very important event in every child's life. There are entrance interviews even before the children begin school. Japanese department store catalogs, like those from other countries, provide many useful details about popular boys' fashions. Unlike fashion magazines, the department store catalogs provide information on fashions often selling. The fashion magazines sometimes provide more fanciful information about fashions that designers and mothers would like for their boys rather than what was actually worn. The children are smartly outfitted for their first day of school. Parents buy a new suit or school uniform for the children and there is an elaborate ceremony at school for the new entrants.
There are currently 6 years of primary school which mean children in the final years are 11-12 years old. >br>
Almost all primary education is provided through public education. Very few children are home schooled. Japanese law make this very difficult and the schools are both effective and safe. There are a small mumber of private schools. One estimate suggests that private schools educate only about 1 percent of Japanese children, one of the lowest ratios almong any democratic, industrial nation.
Public education in Japan is free. There are, however, various school expenses for which parents are responsible, including school lunches and supplies. There are also optional school-related expenses such as extra books, tutors, and jukub (cram schools). These expenses increased substantially during the 1980s as pressure to get into the fright schools increased. One estimate suggested that these expenses exceeded $1,000 annually. This of course is only a fraction of the cost of private education.
Public primary schools in the rural areas were coeducational from the beginning. Here the governing factor was the cost of creating separate schools. We are less sure about public primary scools ijn the cities. We think they may have been single gender schools, but we are unsure at this time. Since Wotks War II, public primary schools have been coeducational. Private primary schools have tended to be single gender schools.
Primary school classes tend to be large. They are mormally larger than in America and Europe. They average about 31 children per class. This of course is not optimal, but possible in Japan because the children are generally well socialized at home by their parents before entering school. The large class sizes affects the ability of teachers to deal with individual differences. This and social values affect teaching methods. Japanese children are expected to conform. Clever children are expected to adapt to class roomactivities that do not challenge them. Less capable students are expected to keep up. A common Japanese daying is, "The nail thazt stands out gets hammered down." Some accomodation to individual differences is made in group activities. Individual expression is not encouraged as in the West. Teachers generally organize the children into work groups, both for academic and disciplinary reasons. This helps deal with the large class sizes.
Japanese teachers set high discipline standards and seek to inculcate a sense of individual responsibility. Schools appoint student monitors to enforce school rules. Japanese schools do not have janitors like American and European schools. Rather the children themselves are responsibe for cleaning both their classrooms and school common areas.
The curriculum at Japanese schools is controlled nationally by the MoE. The primary curriculum presents a wide range of subjects to the children. The program is strongly academic in character. There are, however, both both academic and nonacademic. Academic subjects include: apanese language, social studies, maths, and science. Nonacademic subjects include: art and handicrafts, music, homemaking, physical education, and moral education. Japanese language is by far the the most heavily emphasized subject. This is necessary because of the complexity of the written language. Unlike European and many languages, like Chimnese there is no alphabet. This and fifferent spoken forms require considerable attention at the primary level. There is also moral education and "special activities". "Special activities" is the term for weekly sessions devoted to class affairs and preparatiuons for school activities and ceremonies. The focus here is on character development and the promoting group effort and cooperation. The MoE approved a new curriculum (1989). The new curriculum reflected issues Japanese educators had been discussing in the 1980s resulting in a eduvational reform movement.
Primary schools in the early 20th century hadsimple uniformds with a simple military style. The boys generally wore long knee-length shorts. Often schools in rural arwas were less strict about a uniform. The boys worn uniforms with A prussian look--especially the secondary schools. The girls wore British looking sailor dresses. After World War II, attitudes changed. Manu primary schools dropped uniform requirements. Quite a number of schools continued to require a uniform, but the uniforms adopted at most schoolds no longer had a military look. A common uniform were sweaters and short pants. The shorts were often quite short. Both ankle and kneesocks were worn. Some younger boys wore tights. Some schools had blazers. Schools varied on their choice of headear, if any was chosen. The styles adoopted had a European look.
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