Question About High School

Somebody asked a very good question about the high school system in Japan. So good in fact, I want to devote a little space to answer it.

I was surprised by the high school system in Japan. It is very teacher-centered. By that I mean there is very little engagement with students. It is strictly lecture-based. This is the opposite of what we feel is best practice in the United States. We have been taught that engagement of our students is the best way to enhance learning.

I think that the structure and goals are so different that it is tough to compare. For example, the Japanese high school is college preparatory. If you are not college-bound, you go to a different training school. You may go to the agriculture school, or the technology school.

The Japanese high school is also based on a "sink or swim" philosophy. You either get it or you don't. There are no supports for students that struggle. There is no differentiated instruction to reach multiple learning styles. The only style that matters is the teacher's style of instruction. I would say that this is typical at all levels K-12. We saw students off-task or sleeping and the teacher ignored them. It is my belief that the teacher feels that it is solely up to the student to pass or fail. As I stated, there are no supports for students.

I have some good classroom pictures to show, but there are strict laws in Japan regarding posting pictures of students on the Internet. We were allowed to take pictures and we can use them in presentations. We are not allowed, however, to post them on the Internet unless the child can not be easily identified. You will see a lot of pictures of the back of student's heads.