Il sistema di istruzione giapponese viene soprannominato dagli alunni shiken jigoku, ovvero inferno di esami, in quanto le prove sono tutte scritte e raramente esistono interrogazioni così come le intendiamo noi.
L'anno scolastico inizia sempre ad aprile e finisce a marzo, ma questo periodo è intervallato dalle vacanze delle feste nazionali alle quali si affiancano due settimane a capodanno. Le scuole dell'obbligo prevedono 9 anni d'istruzione e, sono composte da 6 anni di scuola elementare, dove i bambini giapponesi si iscrivono a 6 o 7 anni e dalle scuole medie inferiori che durano 3 anni. Subito dopo questi due gradi d'istruzione obbligatori, gli studenti disposti a procedere gli studi possono iscriversi alle scuole medie superiori, tre anni, e successivamente potranno avere accesso ai college, alle università o alle scuole tecniche. E' possibile scegliere un indirizzo specifico anche subito dopo le scuole dell'obbligo, solo in quel caso cambieranno le materie insegnate che normalmente sono uguali alle scuole italiane, anche se, già dalla prima elementare i piccoli giapponesi studiano "educazione civica" e in prima media affiancano alle materie e alla stessa "educazione civica", anche "igiene".
Essendo molto basso il livello d'insegnamento della scuole pubbliche, in Giappone, sono molto frequentate le scuole private ed esistono dei test di accesso molto selettivi.
Le scuole giapponesi sono molto rigorose e più una scuola è rigorosa, maggiore sarà il valore del diploma conseguito. Differentemente dagli altri livelli scolastici, le università più prestigiose, quella di Tokyo e quella di Kyoto, sono pubbliche, ma i test di ammissione sono molto difficili e gli aspiranti alunni sono costretti a prendere ripetizioni a pagamento durante gli ultimi anni di scuola, lezioni che iniziano alle 17, subito dopo l'uscita da scuola, e possono protrarsi anche fino alle 23.
L'attuale sistema scolastico sviluppa tra gli alunni una forte concorrenza, i voti sono pubblici e vengono affisse di volta in volta le graduatorie attraverso le quali, gli alunni più meritevoli usufruiscono di alcuni privilegi, tra cui quello di poter partecipare attivamente ad alcune importanti cerimonie. Finite le lezioni gli alunni, divisi per gruppi, a turno, puliscono le aule e tutte le aree comuni della scuola (in Giappone non esiste la figura del bidello) e, dopo la pausa pranzo, tutti si trattengono nei locali degli istituti per partecipare ai vari club organizzati dalle scuole. I club sono delle vere e proprie palestre di vita, attraverso le quali gli studenti possono approfondire hobby e sport e prepararsi alla vita lavorativa. Esistono club di letteratura, di fotografia, di matematica, di scienze, di teatro, musicali e sportivi. Questi ultimi sono molto importanti in quanto consentono la partecipazione ai tornei "inter hi", che si svolgono tra tutte le scuole e sono un trampolino di lancio per gli atleti che vogliono diventare professionisti. In tutte gli istituti i voti sono espressi in centesimi e 100/100 è il voto più alto.
La maggior parte delle scuole, ma non tutte, utilizza la divisa scolastica che viene chiamata, fuku alla marinara, per le ragazze, e gakuran, per i ragazzi. L'uniforme è considerata un abbigliamento talmente importante da venire indossato anche nelle cerimonie.
All'interno del territorio scolastico, purtroppo, non mancano episodi di bullismo, in giapponese ijime, che sono più diffusi nelle scuole in cui si studia meno. Sembra non sia raro che a causa di certe angherie subite gli studenti abbandonino la scuola, e si sono registrati anche casi di suicidio o di ragazzi che hanno perso l'autostima portandosi dietro il fardello dei maltrattamenti subiti, anche da adulti. Spesso i professori si accorgono , ma non fanno nulla per paura della Pta, (associazione dei genitori) che vigila sui figli cercando di evitare che essi vengano puniti, persino il preside non ha libertà di agire e gli alunni solitamente fanno finta di non vedere perchè fin da piccoli vengono educati dai genitori a tenere la testa bassa e lo sguardo dritto, in poche parole a farsi i "fatti propri". Il bullismo scolastico si trasforma in nonnismo quando si ha a che fare con l'ambiente di lavoro, negli uffici l'ultimo arrivato prepara il caffè e viene costretto ad occuparsi di tutte quelle cose che i vecchi impiegati non farebbero mai.
Education in Japan
We only know Japanese schools through manga and anime, but do they really works the way they are described? The answer is ... Ny! ... or, a bit yes and a bit no, but let's see if we find some differences:
The Japanese education system is nicknamed by the students shiken jigoku, or the hell of tests, because they always have to pass several written exams.
The school year always starts in April and ends in March, but this period is broken by the national holidays which are flanked by two weeks in the New Year. The schools provide compulsory nine years of education, and are composed by 6 years of primary school, where Japanese childrens enroll in 6 or 7 years, and by junior high schools that lasts three years. Straight after these two levels of education, students that wants to continue their studies can enroll in secondary school, others three years, and then can have access to colleges, universities or technical schools. They can also choose a specific address even immediately after having finished school, only in that case the subjects would be different than usually, because normally they are the same as the Italian or English schools, though, in Japan all students from the very first year start to study "civic education" .
The Japanese public schools level of education is very poor, so private schools are very popular and the ammission could be really selective. Schools are very rigorous. Unlike from the other levels of education, the most prestigious universities, one in Tokyo and one in Kyoto, are public, but the admission tests are very difficult and many students are forced to take private lessons during the last year of school. Lessons begin at 5 pm, shortly after the release from school, and can last for up to 11pm.
The current education system develops strong competition among the students, all the skills are public and are posted all over the schools walls. Best students benefit of certain privileges, including the right to participate actively in several importants ceremonies. After school, students divided into groups, in turn, clean the classrooms and all the publics areas of the school (in Japan there isn't the figure of the caretaker) and, after lunch, they all remain in the institute to attend to the clubs. The clubs are a kind of gym for life, each students can fullfil his own hobby or sport and prepare for the working life. There are also clubs of literature, photography, math, science, theater and music. The sports clubs are very important because they allow the students to take part to the " inter hi ", national tournaments between all schools that are a springboard for athletes who want to become professionals. School votes are expressed in cents and 100/100 is the highest score.
Most of the schools, but not all, use the uniform called sailor fuku, for girls, and gakuran for the boys. The uniform is considered so important that can be used as a dress even in ceremonies.Unfortunately seems that within the school territory there are episode of bullying, in Japanese ijime , which are more prevalent in schools where you study less. It seems it is not uncommon that because of certain injustices suffered, students drop out of school, and there were also cases of suicide or children who have lost their self-esteem, taking with him the burden of ill-treatment, even as adults. Often, teachers notice it, but they do nothing for fear of PTA (Parents' Association) which standeth for the children trying to prevent them from being punished, even the headmaster hasn't the freedom to act and pupils usually pretend not to see nothing because from an early age they are educated by their parents to keep their heads down and look straight ahead, in a few words to "mind their own business". Also in the working environment there are sometimes bullying acts, the last come in the office are used to make coffee and is forced to deal with all the things that an old one would never deal with .
The Japanese education system is nicknamed by the students shiken jigoku, or the hell of tests, because they always have to pass several written exams.
The school year always starts in April and ends in March, but this period is broken by the national holidays which are flanked by two weeks in the New Year. The schools provide compulsory nine years of education, and are composed by 6 years of primary school, where Japanese childrens enroll in 6 or 7 years, and by junior high schools that lasts three years. Straight after these two levels of education, students that wants to continue their studies can enroll in secondary school, others three years, and then can have access to colleges, universities or technical schools. They can also choose a specific address even immediately after having finished school, only in that case the subjects would be different than usually, because normally they are the same as the Italian or English schools, though, in Japan all students from the very first year start to study "civic education" .
The Japanese public schools level of education is very poor, so private schools are very popular and the ammission could be really selective. Schools are very rigorous. Unlike from the other levels of education, the most prestigious universities, one in Tokyo and one in Kyoto, are public, but the admission tests are very difficult and many students are forced to take private lessons during the last year of school. Lessons begin at 5 pm, shortly after the release from school, and can last for up to 11pm.
The current education system develops strong competition among the students, all the skills are public and are posted all over the schools walls. Best students benefit of certain privileges, including the right to participate actively in several importants ceremonies. After school, students divided into groups, in turn, clean the classrooms and all the publics areas of the school (in Japan there isn't the figure of the caretaker) and, after lunch, they all remain in the institute to attend to the clubs. The clubs are a kind of gym for life, each students can fullfil his own hobby or sport and prepare for the working life. There are also clubs of literature, photography, math, science, theater and music. The sports clubs are very important because they allow the students to take part to the " inter hi ", national tournaments between all schools that are a springboard for athletes who want to become professionals. School votes are expressed in cents and 100/100 is the highest score.
Most of the schools, but not all, use the uniform called sailor fuku, for girls, and gakuran for the boys. The uniform is considered so important that can be used as a dress even in ceremonies.Unfortunately seems that within the school territory there are episode of bullying, in Japanese ijime , which are more prevalent in schools where you study less. It seems it is not uncommon that because of certain injustices suffered, students drop out of school, and there were also cases of suicide or children who have lost their self-esteem, taking with him the burden of ill-treatment, even as adults. Often, teachers notice it, but they do nothing for fear of PTA (Parents' Association) which standeth for the children trying to prevent them from being punished, even the headmaster hasn't the freedom to act and pupils usually pretend not to see nothing because from an early age they are educated by their parents to keep their heads down and look straight ahead, in a few words to "mind their own business". Also in the working environment there are sometimes bullying acts, the last come in the office are used to make coffee and is forced to deal with all the things that an old one would never deal with .