Education in Japan: a brief description of the main steps

Education in Japan is the public sphere, which both the state and the society pays maximum attention. In many ways, precisely because of its educational system, this Asian country was able not only to overcome the consequences of the defeat in World War II in the shortest possible time, but also to take the leading positions in many high-tech industries.

In its structure, the formation of Japan in many respects resembles the educational models of Russia and developed countries of Europe and America. The first step is the primary school, where children are trained from six to twelve. Here, young Japanese learn grammar, writing, arithmetic, begin to learn the hieroglyphic alphabet. Classes are held not only in the form of traditional lessons, but also in the form of games, excursions, and modeling. After the termination of the sixth class pupils pass final examinations.

The next stage is the middle school of the first stage. It includes three years of training, along with compulsory subjects there are also optional classes where students can get acquainted with the cultural achievements of mankind, as well as get practical skills in housekeeping and elementary labor skills. This step is the last mandatory, further education in Japan is carried out on a voluntary basis.

The overwhelming majority of schoolchildren who graduated from the 9th grade continue their studies in secondary school. It is also designed for three years, but here an entrance exam is already expected . Entering secondary school, the Japanese must make a choice in favor of a general education or a specialized department. The latter is typical, mainly for rural areas and provinces, where they are interested in specialists in agriculture, marine fisheries, housekeeping. Most of the students from major cities choose general education departments, so that later they have the opportunity to enter the university.

The system of higher education in Japan is an essential part of the entire vocational education system and includes the following types of institutions:

1. Universities full cycle, the duration of training is 4 years.
2. Universities with an accelerated program, training in which does not exceed two years.
3. Professional colleges, where mid-level specialists are trained.
4. Technical institutes, from which engineers and designers come.

Higher education in Japan is under the constant control of the government of the country, which not only allocates significant funds for its development, but also constantly improves the curricula and methods of teaching certain disciplines.

The system of higher education in Japan includes such world famous universities as universities in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Sapporo. Here they not only give an excellent education, but also actively engage in the employment of their graduates.

Higher education in Japan is changing along with changes in society, industry and other spheres of life. So, in recent decades, short courses have become very popular, especially in such areas as economics, social studies, Japanese culture and language. These short-term programs are popular not only among foreigners, but also among the Japanese themselves, who do not hesitate to get an additional education or to retrain to a new profession.

Education in Japan is largely geared towards ensuring that the learner, whether a student, a student or a graduate student, himself is eager to gain some knowledge. This is evidenced by the fact that the government in every way encourages the activities of the so-called "student-scientists", who already in the first year of university set a goal to open something new in this or that field.