School System of Japan
The Japanese school system consists of 6 years elementary school, 3years junior high school, and 3 years high schools. On top of that, as a higher education system, two-or-three-year junior college or four-year college are available for the high school graduates. Education by Elementary 6 years and Junior high 3years are compulsory.
Academic Calendar
Japanese school year starts in April and ends in March of the following year. Elementary schools adopt a three-semester system, with the first semester from April to July, the second semester from September to December, and the third semester from January to March.
Almost all elementary schools and junior high schools provide school lunches.
Comparison Table
As part of their education, students attending elementary school work in groups to clean school classrooms and halls.
Elementary school students are weekly assigned to lunch serving for the classmates.
Expenses at the public schools
Tuition and textbooks are free at public elementary schools.
Regular expenses include school lunch, which costs about 4,000 yen per month.
Examples of items and teaching materials that will be necessary when starting the elementary school are shown below.
Rrandoseru (firm-sided school backpack) ・Indoor shoes (for the classroom and gymnasium)・
Stationery box・Gym clothes,
Depending on the grade, students may also need a calligraphy set, a melodica, and a recorder.
Schools for special needs education
Schools for special needs education are for children with comparatively severe disabilities and aim at giving the 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 for 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.
