I am looking into being a foreign exchange student in about a year and a half, and I just wanted to know some basics. How does the system operate? How hard is it compared to Americas? How long is it? When are their breaks? What are the common after school activities? thanks. =D
Japan - 3 Answers
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1 :
6 days a week, year round. There are very few holidays and no real breaks. Japanese children are expected to work every bit as hard as they would when they are adults.
2 :
its pretty harsh! i think the other guy said most of it, but, it pays off in the end, right? when they are very well educated and what not!have fun in japan! you are very lucky!
3 :
Depends on the school really. Public or Private? Junior High or High? I teach at a fairly liberal Private Junior High school. The hours are tough, we start at 820 in the morning, and the last class finishes at 3pm. Lunch is only 40 minutes long, and there are 6 classes a day. After school the kids spend a lot of time doing a club activity - these are mostly sports, but also include science, english, german and other subjects. You have school Monday through Saturday (but Saturday is a half day at my school). There can be a lot of interruptions in the school year, like Sports festivals, Culture festivals, concerts, public holidays (most fall on Mondays), exam blocks, vacations (Spring in late April, Golden Week around the first week of May, Summer in July/August, and Winter in late December/early January), etc. So actually in total, I only work about 8 months out of 12. As for how difficult it will be, well, all your classes will be in Japanese, but lots of the kids don't really pay attention in class. (or sleep) Exams are testing you on memorization, but in Junior High, even if you fail you advance to the next year, and have detention. In High School you will be kept back. Hope that helps a little!
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