In Japanese schools, lunch is considered part of education. Children are taught to choose and also clean up after meals and help each other. Japan's childhood obesity rate is one of the lowest in the world and has continued to fall since the introduction of the program. BrightVibes.

School lunch rules in Japan are very instructive. Lunch here is not just food, it is considered part of a child's education. More than 10 million Japanese children receive the freshest food every school day. They are supplied by local farmers or school farms, and a team of chefs prepares fresh meals every morning.

Primary school students have lunch in their classrooms where they learn about proper nutrition and about the history and culture of Japanese cuisine. They also help each other, clean up after meals, and throw trash into recycling bins. Lunch lasts 45 minutes.

According to state school food experts Nobuko Tanaka and Miki Miyoshi, this approach helps children to be grateful, learn to appreciate food and adopt proper manners.

In 2005, the government passed a law requiring schools to teach children how to choose healthy foods. And after 2 years, they even began to hire teachers on diet and nutrition. This work has paid off, and the school lunch program has been instrumental in reducing the rate of obesity in the country.

One municipality in the northern part of Tokyo even publishes a cookbook of the best school recipes that everyone can use to cook delicious meals at home.

"Many kids tell their parents what they had for lunch and ask them to cook the same meal," says one school principal in Tokyo.

The students themselves serve lunch to their classmates. They wash their hands, put on white coats and hats, wipe the tables and cover them with cloth. After that, together with their teacher, they go to the kitchen, where they receive food to serve.

All children receive the same meals. If the child has not touched the food, then he will remain hungry: there are no vending machines in Japanese schools, here they are taught to eat what is served. In most areas, only middle and high school students are allowed to bring food to school due to certain dietary restrictions.

And this approach works. Japan's childhood obesity rate, already the lowest in the world, has fallen even more in the past 6 years, just as the country expanded its school feeding program, according to government data.

Japan is investing heavily in the development of the food system. As reported above, most schools employ nutritionists. They work with children who are picky or who like unhealthy food.

Lunches are funded locally. The municipalities pay the labor costs, and the parents cover the cost of groceries, which is about $3 per month. For poor families, there are cheaper or free options.

The education system in Japan is aimed at the comprehensive development of the child. The schedule of many schools also has a special , which is fun and friendly, which teaches children to respect cleanliness and take care of others.

It's time to talk about the Japanese school and its features. We have long been accustomed to the fact that Japan is a somewhat different planet with its own special traditions and rules. But what about the Japanese school? It is the majority of anime and dramas dedicated to the Japanese school, and the girl's school uniform has become a model of Japanese fashion. How is the Japanese school different from the Russian? Today we will talk a little about this topic.

Fact number 1. Japanese school steps

The Japanese school consists of three levels:

• Junior School (小学校 sho: gakko :) in which children study for 6 years (from 6 to 12 years old);
• high school (中学校 chu: gakko :), in which they study for 3 years (from 12 to 15 years old);
• old school (高等学校ko:to:gakko :), which also lasts 3 years (from 15 to 18 years old)

Junior, middle and high schools are separate institutions and separate buildings with their own charters and procedures. Primary and secondary schools are compulsory levels of education and most often they are free. Senior schools usually charge fees. It is not necessary to graduate from high school if a person is not going to enter a university. However, according to statistics, 94% of all Japanese students graduate from high school.

Fact number 2. Academic year in a Japanese school

The school year in Japanese schools does not begin in September, but in April. Schoolchildren study in trimesters: the first - from April to the end of July, the second - from early September to mid-December and the third - from January to mid-March. So called summer vacation in Japan they last only a month and a half (depending on the school) and fall on the hottest month - August.

Fact number 3. Distribution by class in a Japanese school

We are accustomed to learning with the same people throughout our school life. But in Japan, things are completely different. We have already talked about the fact that junior, middle and high schools are separate institutions, but that's not all. Every year classes are formed in a new way. All students of the same parallel are randomly assigned to classes. Those. every year the student gets into a new team, which half consists of new people. By the way, before the distribution, Japanese students can write their wishes on special sheets: their name and two people with whom they would like to be in the same class. Perhaps the leadership will listen to these wishes.

Why is this needed? Such a strange "shuffling" is necessary for the development of a sense of collectivism. The student should not get hung up on the same people, but should be able to find a language with different peers.

Fact number 4. Clubs and circles

After completing school, students usually do not go home, but immediately go to the clubs in which they are enrolled. Clubs are something like Russian circles. And, as a rule, each student is a member of at least one club (by the way, participation in them is optional). Diversity and a large selection of sections is a sign of the prestige and wealth of the school. Clubs are of all kinds: sports, artistic, scientific, linguistic - for every taste and color.

Fact number 5. Japanese uniform and change of shoes

Almost all middle and high schools in Japan have a uniform. And each school has its own. Each student is sewn a school uniform individually, and a winter (warm) version of the uniform and a summer version must be included in the school uniform. Moreover, each school charter contains rules regarding the wearing of golf, school bags (often bags are issued along with the uniform), sports uniforms and even hairstyles.

In Japan, all schoolchildren wear the same change of shoes. Usually, her role is played either by slippers or uvabaks - school shoes that look like sports slippers or ballet flats with a jumper. There are very strict requirements for interchangeable shoes in Japan, especially with regard to the color of the sole: the sole must not leave black marks on the floor. That's why uwabaki is most often white in color (interspersed with other colors). The color of slippers or uvabaki depends on the class you are in. Each class has its own color.

By the way, in primary school usually no form. Unless panama hats of a certain color and stickers on briefcases - so that an elementary school student on the street can be seen from afar.

Fact number 6. Individual numbers in Japanese schools

Each student in a Japanese school is assigned an individual number, which consists of 4 digits. The first two digits are the class number, and the last two are your personal number, which is assigned to you in your class. These numbers are used on cards in the library, stickers on bicycles. With these numbers, students sign all their control papers (student number, then student's name).

Fact number 7. schedule of lessons

The Japanese school schedule changes every week. Usually, students learn about the new schedule only on Friday. Therefore, it can be difficult to predict in advance, for example, which lesson will be the first on Monday in two weeks. AT Russian schools, you see, everything is quite predictable in this regard.

Fact number 8. Japanese schools and cleaning

There are no cleaners in Japanese schools: the students themselves do the cleaning every day in the afternoon. Schoolchildren sweep and mop floors, wash windows, take out the trash and do many other things. And not only in their class, but also in the toilets and in the assembly hall, for example.

Fact number 9. Desks in Japanese schools

Each student in a Japanese school has his own desk. In other words, one person sits at one table. Not two (as, for example, in most Russian schools).

Fact number 10. Grades in Japanese schools

In Japanese schools, teachers do not grade for the presence or absence of homework and degree of readiness for the lesson. If you have done something, the teacher circles the task with a red circle, and if not, you are left with your debt for the future.

However, grades cannot be completely avoided even in a Japanese school. Periodically, tests are conducted in all subjects (especially towards the end of the trimester), and these tests are evaluated on a 100-point scale. Do not forget about the exams that torment middle and high school students.

Fact number 11. Pens or pencils?

Japanese schoolchildren practically do not write with pens, but use pencils for this purpose. Pens are mainly needed to fill in the diary. Everything else - work in the lesson (or lectures), homework, tests need to be written down with pencils.

Fact number 12. A little about the use of cell phones in the classroom

In a Japanese school, cell phones are not allowed in front of teachers. If the teacher sees your gadget in class or hears an alert, then your smartphone will most likely be taken away, and you can return it only with your parents.

In fact, all of the above facts are far from exhaustive information that can be told about the features of the Japanese school. We will be glad if you give your examples in the comments to this post.

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Education is the main value and guarantee of human success in modern world. Each country has its own learning model. It has original national features. Let's talk about how education works in Japan, because it is one of the most economically developed countries.

The search for successful learning models does not stop. The world is entering a phase where American and Scandinavian liberal-democratic systems of knowledge transfer are becoming a thing of the past. They give way to models created in Asian countries.

In this regard, the most interesting is the education system in Japan, which maintains a balance of rigor, control and support for talented and capable children.

In addition, it is one of the models in which the principle of competition dominates, which ensures rapid growth values ​​of knowledge and skills, and accordingly, it contributes to progress.

So, what does the world know about how the Japanese learn:

• Manners are the main goal of learning in elementary school.

Surprisingly, the real study and cramming in Japanese schools begins only in the 5th grade.

Until the age of 10, a child is taught not only to write, read and count, but first of all, the ability to control oneself, behave decently in society, be generous, respect other people, protect nature, be affectionate with animals, etc.

• The beginning of the academic year is April.

In the month when the cherry blossoms bloom, Japanese schoolchildren end their six-week vacation.

April 1st starts a new academic year. It consists of three trimesters, between which there are two vacation periods, lasting 14 days.

• Children are used to physical labor.

Japan cultivates industriousness in its citizens. Many remember how, after World War II, the Japanese quickly rebuilt cities and rebuilt the economy. People worked hard to make their country economically developed and independent.

Diligence and respect for physical labor are brought up in the Japanese from a young age. There are no cleaners in their schools. Maintaining cleanliness is the business of the schoolchildren themselves. Their duties include daily cleaning of offices and toilets.

After the students spend a few hours cleaning, they will be better at keeping clean, less littering, and with respect for those who do manual labor.

• School lunch is an occasion for informal communication.

Lunch is a special period in Japanese school life.

Firstly, school health workers take care of the balance of nutrition and its quality. They develop the menu and supervise the cooking process.

Secondly, the same dishes are prepared for everyone.

Thirdly, there are no canteens in Japanese schools. Children eat in class with teachers. This is a great occasion for informal communication.

• Additional lessons.

Education in Japan is the main goal in life. After eight hours of preparation in the main classes, children spend several hours on preparatory courses go to extra classes. All this in order to get into a prestigious school and get a good education.

On average, they study 10-12 hours a day, including weekends and holidays, and they have practically no poor students.

By the way, due to the importance of education, Japanese students do not miss classes and are not late for them.

• Compulsory subjects are calligraphy and haiku.

Everyone knows how difficult it is for kids in elementary school to learn how to draw letters in calligraphy. Many parents believe that this is a relic of the past and in the age of computerization it is not necessary to display letters beautifully.

The Japanese think differently. Calligraphy is an excellent exercise for the development of fine motor skills, the development of both hemispheres of the brain.

Classes teach concentration and patience, perseverance. In addition, this is one of the meditative practices: writing hieroglyphs develops intelligence and thinking.

Haiku is a type of Japanese national poetry. Every self-respecting Japanese displays the most important events of his life in this poetic genre.

This is a kind of philosophical poetry in which maxims are expressed through metaphors. To compose them, it is necessary to have a developed aesthetic taste.

• School uniform.

Discipline and a sense of collectivism are two pillars Japanese system education.

The uniform is one of the ways to form these qualities in the younger generation.

• Exam hell.

Graduates take a single examination test. Its result is a pass to life.

How well you write test depends on which university you will enter, what job you will get, how much you will earn.

You can only apply to one educational institution, so the competition is high.

• Happy student years.

Studying at the university is a period of relaxation and rest. Students are not overloaded with tasks, so they have the opportunity to communicate, travel.

The main task of a higher educational institution is to teach young Japanese people to love their chosen profession.

In Japan, there is a rule: every person should strive to achieve heights in the business they are engaged in. It does not matter that this is a baking business or jurisprudence.

Kazakhstan and Japan belong to the same cultural circle - the eastern one. They have many points of spiritual, ideological contact.

Since our country is only in the process of forming its own national model of education, the Japanese experience would be very productive. The cult of education is the path to the success of the country.

The foundations of the Japanese school education program are defined by standards approved by the Ministry of Education. Municipal authorities are responsible for funding, implementation of the program, staffing of those school institutions that are located on their territory.

The school in Japan is represented by three levels. This is elementary, middle and high school. Elementary and middle school are compulsory, high school is optional, and over 90% of Japanese youth try to continue their studies in high school. Education in primary and secondary schools is free, but you have to pay for high school.

Little Japanese go to elementary school from the age of six and continue their studies here until the 7th grade. Education in secondary school lasts from 7th to 9th grades. Education in high school is received for 3 years, until the end of the 12th grade.

Table showing the educational system in Japan

Features of Japanese schools

The uniqueness of Japanese schools lies in the fact that the composition of the class changes every year, which allows students to develop communication skills, makes it possible to establish friendly relations with a large number peers. Teachers in Japanese schools also change every year. The number of classes in Japanese schools is large, it ranges from 30 to 40 students.

The school year in Japanese schools begins on April 1, it consists of three trimesters, which are separated from each other by holidays. In spring and winter, schoolchildren rest for ten days, the summer vacation period is 40 days. The school week lasts from Monday to Friday, in some schools they study on Saturday, while every second Saturday the students have a rest.

Lessons in Japanese schools last for 50 minutes, for toddlers the duration of the lesson is 45 minutes, then there is a short break. The daily learning process for a Japanese student ends at 3 pm. AT primary school learning takes place Japanese, social science, natural science, mathematics, music, fine arts, physical education, housekeeping. Primary school students are not given homework, they do not take exams.

Education in middle and high school

Two years ago was introduced for compulsory education English language, it is taught from high school, teaching English is allowed only to native speakers for whom it is native. A secondary school in Japan teaches a few more special subjects, their composition depends on the school itself.

Traditionally, the most difficult subjects in a Japanese school are the study of languages ​​- native and English. Examination of students begins with high school. They take exams at the end of the trimester in all subjects, in the middle of the first and second trimester exams are held in mathematics, natural science, social science, Japanese, English.

Japanese schoolchildren can have lunch for an hour. There are no canteens in schools, hot lunch for children is prepared in a special sterile room, here it is placed in individual boxes, which are brought to classes on carts.

School uniform

Each school chooses its own uniform, it is mandatory to wear it. The uniform also includes a bright baseball cap, which is a kind of identification mark. Each school has a uniform sports uniform.

The duties of a Japanese student are charged with cleaning the school - there are no technical workers in schools, the entire territory of the school is divided into sections, for the cleanliness of which a certain class is responsible. At the end of the lessons, students clean their classroom and the school territory assigned to them.

Teaching foreign students, schools for Russians

All foreign students living in Japan have the right to school education, it can be obtained in public schools. To do this, parents should contact the municipality, where they will be given information in which school their child can study. To study at school, it will be enough for parents to purchase notebooks for written calculations and other educational supplies for their child.

1. Is there really no janitor position in schools in Japan? This is indeed true, since the cleanliness in the educational institution is maintained by the students themselves: they wash the floors in the classroom, wipe the windows and doors, clean the toilet, and of course arrange sports equipment after classes or club activities. Children are divided into pairs and assigned to a certain area in the school. Periodically, couples change the place of cleaning, so each student will be able to have a hand in cleaning the entire school. At the entrance there are lockers for changing shoes, which allows you to keep the school clean.

2. Why are there no canteens in Japanese schools? In fact, each school in Japan approaches this issue individually: the dining room may or may not be. In the absence of a canteen, schoolchildren have a snack in the classrooms that they have prepared at home with a full set of everything necessary for a meal: chopsticks, napkins and a toothbrush. Parents of students can not pay for lunch at school, but cook bento at home. In the presence of a canteen, children optionally buy food that was prepared by school cooks and carry it to the classroom.

3. How is education conducted in Japanese schools? Educational process for Japanese schoolchildren, it does not begin in September, as in most schools in Europe, but in April. The formulation of the training system is also significantly different. There is a primary school where a child studies for 6 years, then a secondary school for 3 years, and a senior school for 3 years. The total is 12 years. Lessons begin at 8:30 am. But do not rejoice! For every slightest delay, penalty points are awarded, which can reach a day of absenteeism. For failure to complete homework, the student is left with a debt to the teacher, which must be covered. School attendance is strictly controlled and a long absence is equated to poor grades. Each class has its own classroom, which is named depending on the year of study and the number of classes. Teachers themselves come to the classroom of a particular class. Each student has his own single desk, which is assigned to him for a period set by the school (a semester, or even a year).

4. What is the vacation period for Japanese students? Each school sets an individual number of days for rest. As a rule, pupils of primary and secondary classes are provided with additional vacation days. Next, the time frame for holidays at certain times of the year will be presented: summer - from July 18 to August 28; autumn - from 6 to 10 October; winter - from December 24 to January 5; spring - from March 26 to April 4. Japanese schoolchildren have a tighter schedule of study compared to schools in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

5. The cost of education in Japanese schools. Getting education in Japan is completely paid. The cost of education is affected by the status of the school: private schools are much more expensive. If school lunches and other expenses are not taken into account, parents will pay about 1,925,000 yen (1,025,000 rubles \u003d $ 17,016.60) for elementary school education alone; for 6 years of middle and high school in general - 2,720,000 yen (1,447,000 rubles = 24,022.46 dollars). As a result, for 12 years of study, the final amount is 4,645,000 yen (2,482,000 rubles = 41,205.08 dollars). There are many parameters that affect the resulting value.

6. What are school clubs in Japan? Japanese school clubs can be compared to clubs in most schools in Europe. Clubs are not required, but every student in Japan considers it a duty to be enrolled in at least one of them. The number of clubs is unlimited, the main thing is that the participants are present. The theme can be both sports activities and the study of otherworldly forces. Most clubs provide the opportunity to participate in competitions, the results of which can give a positive response to university admission. Students who go home after class call their club Kitakubu (帰宅部) - "homecoming club".

7. What uniform should schoolchildren have? In almost all schools in Japan, students are prohibited from using cosmetics and dyeing their hair. Each Japanese school has its own uniform, which the student buys with his own money. Pupils proudly wear the uniform of their school, but it costs a lot of money. On average, a uniform costs 30,000 yen (16,000 rubles = $265.63). Japanese schoolchildren are attentive to their appearance.