Education and Schooling

[Lacey-chan]

Most schools have 1st grade, 2nd grade and etc.
I'm sure Japan uses the same levels, but I want to know if they have 7th & 8th grades just likes most schools? You know, as in junior high/middle school? And what age do you have to be?

Example:
If your birthday is in June, and you're going to the 6th grade, what age do you have to be?
1st grade: age:
2nd grade: age:
and so on...
(whatever!)

And what month do schools start in Japan?

-Must be a very senseless question, but curiousity pushed me into signing up for this forum.-

OK...
Before you leave, I offer you: Ramen noodles

[Scott]

Japanese children enter the first grade of elementary school in the April after their sixth birthday. They attend elementary school for six years, where they study Japanese, arithmetic, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, and home economics (to learn simple cooking and sewing skills). During their three years in middle school, English is added to this list. I believe that basically the ages are the same of that in North America. Moyashi would be the one to ask, as he's a teacher. If you want more info on school in Japan visit http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/japan/b.html.

[samuraitora]

Hey thanks for the ramen and welcome to the forum. It isn't a silly question and I agree with Scott...Ask moyashi.

[samuraitora]

miyuki and maciamo would be a couple more to ask.

[moyashi]

Scott basically nailed on the head.

the split is 6-3 with high school being 3 and non-mandatory.
The ages I'm not sure. 6 and 18 out?

School starts in April which is in sync with the cherry blossoms and finishes in late March. The school year is much longer but has many holidays through out. Summer is about a month and so on.

Seniors (last year of high school) normally don't come to school during the 3rd quarter. They're busy studying for entrance exams or off drinking somewhere with their friends.

I'll dig around more for ages and such.

[Lacey-chan]

"the split is 6-3 with high school being 3 and non-mandatory."


---Thanks for the tiny info!!! Can you please explain that bit a little more?

Like:
Elementary: (number of years)
Middle School: (number of years)
High School: (number of years)

---Oh yeah, if you don't mind answering this for me...

When you call teachers "sensei", how do you place the titles when you call them that? I mean, if you're in America, you call them Teacher (the name of the teacher), but what if you're in Japan? Do you place the name extension like -chan, or -san

-another senseless, silly question- (Lacey-chan apologizes)

Want a ramen?

[Scott]

About the teacher thing. For example. In America you would call her Mrs./Miss./Ms. Tanaka. In Japan she would be Tanaka-sensei.

[moyashi]

elementary = 6 years
Jr. High (middle school) = 3 years
High School = 3 years

the title sensei is used in almost any type of teaching situation. Be it at school, kendo class, flower arrangement class, or even a widely know manga artist or famous writer, and Doctors.


So since I answer so many questions here and in essence also teach high school. According to Japanese customs you all should be calling me Moyashi-Sensei. lol... I'm joking but it would b e done in Japan.

It's pretty funny to see teachers calling others .... Hi Carsten-Sensei (very few teachers at school know my family name so they break the rule and tagged sensei to my name) and I'd say Hi Tanaka-Sensei. Or a bit more, Kadowaki-Sensei are you busy right now? Oh Carsten-sensei! What's up?

It's pretty anal if you ask me but, some of the teachers I work with I respect so much that it's hard even to call them by their first names.

Almost forgot. In class, normally when you call the teacher you'd say Mrs. Brown! Mrs. Brown! What does XXX mean? In Japan, if you're somewhat familiar with a teacher you can drop their last name and just call that person "Sensei" = "Teacher". But the catch here is that if it's a teacher you don't know (as in not having been taught by) you normally don't say just "Sensei" however if you forgot their name or just don't know it, "Sensei" know sort of means "Teacher (uncle)" = "Sir".

hope this helps

[samuraitora]

@moyashi

Thanks for the info moyashi-sensei

[Lacey-chan]

Thanks for the info, moyashi-sensei.

-Arigato-

[moyashi]