Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Reflection Paper - Educational System of Japan



Leonardo Z. Camboja Jr.                                                     Teaching Profession
BEE – 2                                                                             Olga C. Alonsabe, Ph.D.
Reflection Paper – Educational System of Japan
February 22, 2013

          The school system in Japan was changed from a dual system to a single-track school system through educational reforms influenced by the United States after World War II. The 6-3 school system means not only extension of the period of compulsory education from 6 years to 9 (6+3) years, but also the articulation between elementary education schooling and secondary education schooling into a single-track school system.
As Japanese society developed and became more sophisticated, the incidence of advancement following compulsory education rapidly increased. It became difficult to meet the actual educational needs of people under the unified school system. School system reforms have been implemented to build a life-long learning society. Cooperation or fusion between school education and social and out-of-school education are viewed as challenges leading to a relaxation of the rules of Japan educational system.
The first system is the structured system from university (the highest level of educational institutions), that is a place for the most advanced study and research, to preparatory schools (grammar schools): or a system from top to bottom. The second system introduced during the modern period involves schooling for basic education, including teaching literacy to the common people. Kindergartens are educational facilities that are superintended by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, Sports and Technology (MEXT) for children from 3 to 5 years old, and that give young children appropriate surroundings and encourage the development of their mind and bodies. While in theory school can only be established by the state, autonomous regional entities and scholastic corporations, the present time kindergartens can also be established by religious corporations and individuals. Day care centers and kindergartens comprise a dualized structure of institutions for infants in terms of age, time for service, content of care, teachers qualifications and precincts. Given the uneven distribution of day care centers and kindergartens, ongoing changes in mothers work situations, and the difficulty of achieving administrative and financial efficiency of facility maintenance due to the decline in birth rates, efforts to integrate and unify the two tier system of preschool education (day care centers and kindergartens) provide a challenge. Nowadays, enrollment by 4-year old in 2-year preschools account for the largest proportion, followed by enrollment of 5-year-olds in a 1-year preschool and then 3-year-olds enrollment in a 3-year preschools. Of the nearly 110,000 full-time preschool teachers in national, public and private preschools, more than 90% are female. Elementary schools established in Japan under the compulsory education system aim to provide general basic education. The State, local governments and incorporated educational institutions have the right to establish such schools. Most elementary schools have been established by local governments except for schools attached to national universities and private schools. The curriculums of the elementary schools are based on the Course of Study and consist of the following subjects (Japanese Language, Social Studies, Arithmetic, Science, Life Skills, Music, Drawing and Handcraft, Home Economics, Physical Education), Moral Education, Special Activities and the Period of Integrated Study. With the revised Course of Study in 2002, teaching of English during the Period of Integrated Study was approved with the provision of greater leeway for local school discretion; The creation of special curricular-oriented schools is being promoted. As compulsory education, the educational contents of lower secondary schools are required to be similar. At the same time, since educational contents should have sufficient flexibility to be relevant to a student courses after graduation and facilitate self growth during puberty, electives are provided.
The basis of public lower secondary school administration is similar to that in elementary schools, since both are compulsory municipal schools. Public lower secondary schools are established by municipalities as components of the compulsory educational system while public upper secondary schools are established mainly by prefectures as non-compulsory education school. Achievement tests are required to enter upper secondary schools. The negative effect of these tests on education and instruction at lower secondary schools has been criticized despite the fact that virtually all students proceed on to secondary schools. Secondary schools were established as a new school system to facilitate unified education. Later, educational institutions subsequent to compulsory education were diversified through institutionalization of colleges of technology, specialized training colleges and comprehensive six-year secondary schools. While the colleges of technology might appear to be similar to special / vocational schools that have special curriculum and specialized training colleges under the old Japanese educational system, they are completely different institutions in their five-year educational programs, the first three-years correspond to upper secondary school and the last two years correspond to junior college. The advantage is that these colleges provide five-years of systematic technical education. The disadvantage is that they become fixed on training of mid-level technicians as the demand for highly skilled technicians by industry becomes stronger.

1 comment:

  1. gjnetwork は、最高のオフショア システム開発サービス プロバイダーの 1 つです。 Gjnetwork は、従来型のサポートとシステム開発ベースのサポートの両方をサポートしています。

    オフショア システム 開発

    ReplyDelete