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EDUCATION OVERVIEW
Administration and Finance:
The central authority on education is the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (MONBUSHO). The ministry is responsible for the development and improvement of education at all levels.
There are 47 prefectures, further divided into a number of municipalities. Within each prefecture, there is a Prefectural Board of Education, which serves as the central education authority in the prefecture. Each municipality also has a Municipal Board of Education responsible for administering government services relating to education, science and culture within the municipality.
Education is funded by both public and private agencies. The cost of public education is shared between national, prefectural and municipal governments from national grants, tax revenues, fees and other sources. The national governments funds its own institutions directly and provides subsidies for prefectures, municipalities and private institutions.
Size:
There are 7,855,387 students at the elementary level, with 4,103,717 the lower, 4,165,434 at the upper secondary levels and 3,917,709 at the higher education level. There are currently 24,106 elementary schools, 11, 209 lower secondary institutions and 5,478 upper secondary institutions. At the tertiary level, there are approximately 530 universities, 590 junior colleges and 65 technical colleges functioning.
Structure:
Pre-elementary education, although not compulsory, is available and generally caters to children between the ages of 3 and 6. Elementary education begins at age 6 and is compulsory for children to attend for a period of six years. Lower secondary education is the last stage of compulsory education and caters to students between 12 to 15 years of age. Students who have completed the lower secondary cycle can then move on to the upper secondary level or to colleges of technology, which are three to four years in length, depending on the institution.
Higher education generally consists of Daigaku (universities), Tankidaigaku
(junior colleges) and Koto-senmongakko (colleges of technology). The first stage of university studies is generally four years in length, with six years as the requirement for particular specializations, such as medicine, veterinary studies and dentistry. The second stage of study is an additional two years in length, followed by the third level, which is generally a minimum of three additional years.
Private & Public Education:
There are private institutions at all levels of education. More than half of pre-elementary institutions are privately run. The elementary and lower secondary levels, the majority of institutions are, however, public. At the upper secondary level, there is a higher proportion of students in private institutions.
The majority of tertiary level institutions, with the exception of technical colleges, are private. Public universities are financed mainly by national and local funds, while private universities are financed by student's fees and private funds. Private schools must adhere to the jurisdiction of the MONBUSHO and must follow the national curriculum. MONBUSHO must approve the establishment of all private tertiary institutions.
Academic Year:
The academic year generally begins on the 1st of April and lasts until the 31st of March, corresponding with the fiscal year of the country. At the elementary and lower secondary levels, the academic year is usually divided into three terms. While the majority of upper secondary institutions also function on the trimester system, some institutions adopt the semester system, where the first semester lasts from April to September and the second lasts from October to March. There is a long summer vacation from July through August and two shorter ones in the winter months and in the spring, at the end of the school year.
Language of Instruction:
Japanese
Teacher Training:
Pre-elementary, elementary and secondary school teachers are trained mostly in four-year programs at national universities. Some teachers are also trained at two or four-year courses at a small number of local and private institutions of higher education. There are also several graduate-teacher training schools.
Revised: May 06, 2004
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Copyright © 2001 World Education Services.
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