This section provides an overview of the education system in Japan and resources for further reading for those interested in education policy in Japan.
In Japan, children typically undergo 12 years of formal education consisting of elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. Before beginning their elementary education at the age of 6, children have the option to attend kindergarten between the ages of 3 and 5.
Compulsory education begins with 6 years of elementary school and ends with 3 years of lower secondary school for a total of 9 years. Students then proceed to upper secondary school, which caters to children who have completed their compulsory education and is completed in 3 years. There is also an option to attend a secondary school after elementary school which combines lower and upper secondary education. In recent years, locales with smaller populations have been given the option to establish compulsory education schools which are schools that combine elementary and lower secondary schools.
Schools for special needs education are for children with comparatively severe disabilities and aim at giving an education suited to their individual educational needs. These schools are divided into four levels consisting of kindergarten, elementary, lower and upper secondary. Special needs education may also be provided to students with milder disabilities attending regular elementary and lower secondary schools through either enrolling in smaller-sized special classes or visiting resource rooms a few times a week for supplemental instruction.
Higher education in Japan is divided into colleges of technology, junior colleges and universities. Colleges of technology provide vocational education to students who have completed their compulsory education, and grant students associate degrees after five years of study. Junior colleges offer 2 to 3 year associate degree programs to students who have completed their upper secondary education and the majority of courses offered are in the humanities, social sciences and teacher training. Universities offer 4-year bachelor’s degrees to students who have completed their upper secondary education, as well as 2-year master’s and 3-year doctoral degrees.
Lastly, there are specialized training colleges and miscellaneous schools which are mostly privately controlled institutions that offer practical vocational and technical education programs. Specialized training colleges provide upper secondary programs for those who have completed their compulsory education, post-secondary programs and general courses. Students who complete the upper secondary program receive a technical associate degree. Miscellaneous schools, available to students who have completed their compulsory education, offer courses in dressmaking, cooking, and automobile repair among many other vocational trades, and generally last for 1 year.
Based on the School Education Act, the Japanese national government sets the national curriculum standards for elementary, secondary and special needs schools in order to maintain definite levels of education and ensure equal quality education for all. National curriculum standards are revised every 10 years. The national government body that publishes the national curriculum standards is the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
Boards of education then set regulations related to the management of schools, including school year, school terms, procedures for making curricula and use of textbooks, etc. Boards of education (BOE) are divided into municipal and prefectural boards of education where municipal BOEs establish and oversee elementary and lower secondary schools and prefectural BOEs establish and oversee upper secondary schools and schools for special needs education.
In accordance with national curriculum standards, individual schools make and execute curricula by setting educational objectives, organizing lesson content, and allocating classroom hours.
Further Reading
- Education Overview – Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- Printer friendly, colorful brochure about education in Japan – Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- http://www.nier.go.jp/English/educationjapan/index.html>In-depth articles on topics related to education in Japan – National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER)
- Education Policy in Japan: Building Bridges Towards 2030 – Organizations for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
