How many junior high schools can one city hold? Standing before Nishidai Junior High School I am reminded that Tokyo has many. Nishidai Junior High School is one of many junior high schools located in Tokyo. It resides in Itabashi.
Let’s explore the world of junior high schools in Tokyo. Japan’s school system includes six years of elementary school. Following that is three years of junior high school. After junior high, students have the option to attend high school.
Attendance is compulsory for junior high school. Over 90 percent of junior high schools are public. These schools are also coeducational institutions. Each year students are assigned to a homeroom. These homerooms have a maximum of 40 students. The average class size in 2010 was about 29 students. Students take most of their classes with their homeroom.
Classes are generally not segregated by ability. Some schools use streaming systems. This is for math and English classes. The standard curriculum includes several required subjects. Japanese language is required. Social studies are essential. Mathematics is a must. Science is also required. A foreign language elective is part of the curriculum. This is almost always English. Music, fine arts, health, and physical education are also important. Industrial arts or homemaking is included. Requirements include extracurricular activities. Moral education is required. Integrated study is part of the curriculum.
High school attendance is optional in Japan. In 2010, 98 percent of junior high graduates entered high school. About 74 percent of high schools were public. High school entrance depends on exam performance. Competition can be intense for favored schools. Unified junior and senior high schools exist. Students attending these schools avoid the high school entrance exam. However, there are relatively few unified schools.
Japanese secondary students have shorter summer vacations. They enjoy longer winter breaks. The average school day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students often face two to six hours of homework each night. Some attend cram school. This can be in the afternoon or on weekends. Many are involved in sports or club activities.
High schools are ranked. Students are identifiable by their uniforms. Students attending lower-ranked schools may stand out. It can be hard for them to advance in life. Students in vocational high schools may not be interested in learning. Some may sleep during class. Others may be disruptive.
Surveys show that some secondary students are goofing off more. One poll showed that half of final-year high school students study less than two hours a day outside school. One in five students hardly studies at home. A government survey found that a third of middle and high school students slept during the day.
Standing here, outside Nishidai Junior High School, I think about all the junior high students in Tokyo. I wonder what their dreams are for the future. Nishidai Junior High School is just one part of their journey.