But the fact is they are major part of the Japanese educational landscape and how it functions. They're more for self-improvement and togetherness. my current graduate program that was this way, I’m always thinking that surely other to disagree or to debate supporting an opposite opinion. Students have no choice but to desperately cram to memorize information, spit it out under tremendous pressure during entrance exams, and forget it forever. Each class has a homeroom teacher who is expected to be involved in their students' lives, almost like a surrogate parent. The real change — that is, making colleges and universities as real educational institutions, is what they need. Students keep all books and personal effects with them in their homerooms.). (Of course, they must be diligent and talented if one actually got CPA at that young age.) Schools in Japan tend not to have much built in tech for the classroom, though some prefectures are experimenting with mixed results. But these are generally the kinds of situations you'll encounter. It’s much cheaper and much more challenging to get into. Floor toilets may seem intimidating or weird at first, but the position it forces you to be in is actually more natural for the human body than sitting upright. I personally hate cold so the first month of winter with open windows was torture. Ultimately, I think the purpose of education is not just to inform, but to cultivate a desire to learn. Yes I know..I studied like crazy in high school…and then went to American college so I continued to study. The stereotypical popular I just finished my bachelor’s at a state school in the US (I’ve lived here all my life) and was interested in how university might be different elsewhere. I secretly envied my sisters in Japan talk about their college life. I know in the Caribbean, North America, Europe and Latin America (if I am wrong, please correct me) you have to work hard to stay in, and it’s hard to get in to the really good universities in the first place. I love watching Hollywood movies and I made them watch with me, so they speak some.They were both quiet in their US class the first 1 & 1/2 months maybe, but are quite conversant now. 日本語は大好きです! Japanese schools don't usually have AC, though there are pushes here and there to have it added. Students in Japan would get nothing but a degree over four years of university life. characters on Fruits Basket. Floor toilets are most common, though the teacher's bathroom may feature a western style toilet. Really interesting article! My majour is international communication, and My taking most of classes are like your classes. When my students stare at me in class after I ask for the answer to a question 3 or 4 times I always have to explain that my class is different from all of their other classes. This meant that often the rest of the class was misunderstood. For one particular course, I skipped most of the lectures because I was already very comfortable with the material presented, and still made a good grade. Spring does seem like the beginning of a year and so Even if it is a discussion class, students are concerned about asking unusual questions and they rather stay quiet and they don’t do a lot of group project especially in universities. If it wasn’t for my goal to participate in the Japanese Jobhunting, i wouldn’t even consider to set a foot on the ground of a Japanese University…. They said clearly “Yes” or “No”. Dan Bender, the school’s principal, told a parent “iPads create an unsafe environment for our children; video consoles such as Nintendo DS are much better”. I bet is a combination of 3 factors: 1) Japanese culture is extremely rigid when it comes to authoritative relationships: Parents/sons, Employer/employee, Teacher/students; This comes from a confucianism heritage that values age and status over meritocratic achievements, limiting engagement and discouraging curiosity for autodidacts and critical thinking. You'll certainly be welcomed in some capacity, but you're essentially jumping into a race that everyone else has been running for 5 months. The American Dream, as it were, would be impossible without a kind of panglossian belief in the capability of the self. Junior and High school both have half the range as Elementary, which is wider. I went to an academic high school that focused on preparing students for Japanese university entrance examinations, so I knew that I would be working my butt off if I decide to go to American college. No wonder no top-tier Japanese college appear in top 20 of any major world college/university rankings. It may come across as strange to you, but that’s While differences in culture and daily life will likely be quirky and interesting, differences in the education system stand to shock you most of all. I am still surprised that almost all the classes in a very good Japanese And staying to experience it is worth your time. that is very interesting. While the students of the private run Universities don’t have to study at all, and drink and party a lot (im speaking about the private”1st class” Universities in Tokyo), the students of the “top class” state run Universities have to study around the clock. America. Are there usually other assignments in addition to tests? 3) Many Japanese professors or students has never been abroad longer than a few months for a summer exchange program, so there is not a real ” adapt or die” culture so to speak and the learning curve is slower when they need to know how to survive in a different environment away from home, facing different ideologies, historical inertia, cultural challenges, etc. (No locker for books though. The class answered, "yes" and the student returned to his seat triumphant. I do appreciate TLDR: Everything that you are saying seems to disagree with what modern researchers believe about learning. Regarding the school system, I think it is also hard for professors to ask too much of their students when they know that they may be very busy in a few years time at work. Enkai are arguably one of the greatest benefits of being a teacher and you'll want to go to as many as possible. But I did attend the graduation where all the yankis who never came to class got their diplomas. For those unfamiliar with different countries’ education … Japanese have 2 or 3 chances to pass the final exam! In that regard, both the American and Asian systems of education … Passing entrance exams does. I am the Tofugu's own Rich calls the teachers' room his favorite part of the Japanese school system: This room helps foster a sense of camaraderie and cooperation. words written by Hi Yumi, I am an American university student doing an English teaching internship at a university in Japan. 4 min read. We are educated to fulfill our attendance as it is part of the carry marks to graduate. Those who research online may find horror stories of chaotic classrooms with Mad Max-esque social structures. Even if we are studying new language they stay rather quiet. Wow this is a great article Yumi-san , I studied in school in Kuwait and college in Egypt , both countries are very similar to the U.S education system which heavily emphasis on participation , teachers love students who ask questions and I like it that way becuase specially in college graduating takes ALOT of effort and attending classes is very important , I don’t think I could hold my questions till the end of a class if I were in japan :/. I mean about test or lectures because i really don’t have any idea about it. You are still on duty while at school, so handling these situations is part of your job. I have only one because the instructors usually have a “Participation Grade” which may range from 10-25% of your overall grade. The default Japanese habit of measuring your subjects with only the American model is a product of a kind of intellectual laziness, but please don’t be offended. I graduated from university in Thailand but i went to study in USA for a year when i was in high school. I’m not saying that all students are like that, but it looks like they are attending classes thinking that they will know another language without any effort. should follow the example of Asian countries and teach them to work hard. Students generally spend all years at a given school with the same group of classmates. I went to college in the US for 3 years (I’m Spanish, although the Spanish university system isn’t vastly different from the US one). School starts in springtime. it for fun. I hope it will change in few years, because even if I could notice students that are not careless it’s still too far from what we know in our countries. It's the Pikmin approach to cleanliness. Or so I was told by many ALTs. for me, and I even moved on the Calculus. The intense focus on testing touches all parts of education culture in Japan. to actively participate in the class. 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