Secondary education in Japan for international students

6-year primary education is compulsory. Lessons start at 8:30, last 45 minutes with breaks of 5 and 10 minutes in primary schools in Japan. Due to the convenience of public transport, as well as due to the fact that schools are often located in small areas, there are no school buses in Japan. The students are mostly at school until noon, and children in high school go home around 16:00.

The compulsory school curriculum includes such subjects as: Japanese language, humanities, arithmetic, natural sciences, fundamentals of life safety, music, drawing, works, physical education and housekeeping. Extracurricular activities include: morality lessons and mind-expanding classes, which raise topics such as volunteering or understanding the world. Reading and writing are perhaps the most important subjects of the program; it is assumed that by the end of the sixth grade, in addition to hiragana and katakana, students should know 1006 hieroglyphs.

All subjects are taught by one teacher, with the exception of music and drawing lessons. At the same time, teachers work in one school for a while, and then move to another. This is done so that students receive the same knowledge in equal volume and there are no differences in the quality of studying.

Primary education is based on the moral, emotional and physical development of children, as well as motivation to explore the world; there is an emphasis on group thinking and the creation of an equal society.

The next 3 years are mandatory for secondary school in Japan, where the children study from 12 to 15 years old. The main difference from the primary one is that the curriculum is now divided into four parts: compulsory subjects, elective classes, morality lessons and extracurricular activities.

Compulsory subjects are: Japanese language, humanities and natural sciences, mathematics, music, fine arts, physical education and labor. Elective classes include foreign language lessons (English), which are chosen by most students, or some other subject, for example, music or fine arts. One lesson a week is devoted to moral education. Students also have the opportunity to play sports, join clubs, organize meetings, participate in ceremonies, plays, concerts and other activities, which refers to extracurricular activities that can take place both inside and outside the school.

Unlike primary school in Japan, lessons now last for 50 minutes, and different teachers come to the classroom and work with a program designed for a specific school class.

The studying on this level is optional and lasts for 3 years, giving the student a choice between general and special education in three formats: full-time, part-time and distance learning. Unlike full-time, which last three years, the other two formats require longer studying to master the entire program.

The competition for admission to high school is very strong, the selection is based on the results of the test, for which many students prepare by attending evening schools-externates. Most high school students choose an academic course that prepares them for university.

The curriculum includes the following subjects: Japanese language, geography, history, civil law, mathematics, natural sciences, physical education, fine arts and labor. A huge number of students choose English as a foreign language (the schools also offer French or German as a choice). Below an approximate list of the material being studied is provided:

• Japanese: the main load goes to classical Japanese. It is assumed that students come to high school with knowledge of 1945 hieroglyphs.
• Humanities: Geography and history are taught in one course together with civil law. At this level, students have already become familiar with local and regional issues, and are now ready to study Japan and East Asian countries in an international context.
• Mathematics: The high school course covers general mathematics, algebra, geometry, fundamentals of analysis, differentials, integrals, probabilities and statistics.
• Natural Sciences: A high school student must choose two subjects from the following list: complex and basic sciences, physics, chemistry, biology or geology.
• Physical education: there is also a choice: gymnastics, athletics, swimming, various ball games (volleyball, baseball, etc.), kendo, judo and dancing.
• Fine arts: the student chooses two courses among music, art (painting, drawing or graphic design), calligraphy or any crafts.
• Works: classes are held for both girls and boys, without separation. Students are taught cooking, sewing, computer use and economic literacy.

On average, the cost of secondary education in Japanese schools is about $ 40,000, excluding the cost of uniforms and school bags. By the way, Only in Japan there are amazing orthopedic satchels, with which all schoolchildren are required to walk, with the exception of high school students.

Foreign students legally residing in Japan have the right to receive secondary education in municipal schools. To enroll in school, parents need to contact the municipality corresponding to their place of residence and find out which school the child can go to. The distribution of municipal schools takes place at the place of official registration. Education in public Japanese schools is practically free everywhere. Parents will have to pay only for notebooks, stationery and other school supplies.

As a rule, the foreign students must submit the following documents to the secondary school in Japan:

• Application
• Motivation letter
• School certificate with grades
• Medical certificate
• Letter of recommendation from teachers
• Photos
• Financial documents.