Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) #1

Mrs. Benz agreed to partner with me and provide questions that I could answer while I was in Japan. I thought the students did such a nice job that I felt I should provide responses as soon as possible. It is my hope that these questions will lead our students, staff and community members into even more complex and relevant questions. I will post these questions in stages and I would entertain even more questions in the comments sections. I will do my best to find answers as quickly and accurately as possible.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the Japanese school system like?

Their school system is very much like ours. The Japanese school is set up in a 6-3-3 format. They have an elementary school for six years, middle school for three years, and high school for three years. Compulsory (i.e. mandatory) education is for nine years, so students can drop out after 9 years although nearly all students attend high school. Students start at age six. These are all very similar to our educational system.

In the United States, we have the Department of Education that governs education at the federal (national) level and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that does it at the state level. In Japan, they have the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) that governs education.

However, there are also some ways in which our systems differ. For example, when you enter the first year of middle school (what we would call 7th grade) is called the 1st grade of Middle School. 10th grade is the 1st grade of High School. The school year is also structured somewhat differently.

The Japanese have three terms: 1st Term goes from April through late July, 2nd Term is September through late December, and 3rd Term runs from January through late March.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will add more on schools (i.e. curriculum, technology, etc.) as I get to Tokyo and Miniamisoma and have a chance to tour and visit with educators and students. As I stated previously, if you have specific questions, please leave them in the comments section.

JFMF Process and Updates

As part of my responsibilities to the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program, I am responsible for a follow-on plan to ensure accountability. This blog is part of that follow-on plan, as is my planned presentations to the school, and to professional organizations, both local and at the state level.

In the past few weeks, I have been actively trying to plan for being gone for three weeks. Not only will I be gone from the Beulah School, but from my family as well. As exciting as this experience is going to be, leaving the comforts of home and family are starting to cause some anxiety.

Packing is starting to become a concern too. How exactly do you fit three weeks of dress clothes, casual clothes, and all of the accessories into a large garment bag and one carry-on? We have a community website for JFMFers on Ning and there are many interesting ideas out there from washing clothes at the hotel and laundromats to throwing the non-essentials (i.e. undershirts and underwear) away and buying new ones when you need them. I'm pretty sure I will be trying search out some washing machines!

As I get closer to leaving on October 12, I will be posting some of the questions from Mrs. Benz's students and my corresponding answers. I created a FAQ document for Mrs. Benz and her students that has hopefully laid the foundation for the interactivity of this blog while I am in Tokyo and Minamisoma. It is my hope that I will be able to post pictures and a narrative as well as answer questions or comments from students in the comments sections.