School Grades
The school year in Japan begins in April and classes are held from Monday to either Friday or Saturday, depending on the school. The school year consists of two or three terms, which are separated by short holidays in spring and winter, and a six week long summer break.
The year structure is summarized in the table below.
| Age | Grade | Educational establishments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | Kindergarten (幼稚園 Yōchien) |
Special school (特別支援学校 Tokubetsu-shien gakkō) |
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| 4-5 | |||||||
| 5-6 | |||||||
| 6-7 | 1 | Elementary school (小学校 Shōgakkō) Compulsory Education |
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| 7-8 | 2 | ||||||
| 8-9 | 3 | ||||||
| 9-10 | 4 | ||||||
| 10-11 | 5 | ||||||
| 11-12 | 6 | ||||||
| 12-13 | 1 | Junior high school / Lower secondary school (中学校 chūgakkō) Compulsory Education |
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| 13-14 | 2 | ||||||
| 14-15 | 3 | ||||||
| 15-16 | 1 | High school / Upper secondary school (高等学校 kōtōgakkō, abbr. 高校 kōkō) |
College of technology (高専 kōsen) |
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| 16-17 | 2 | ||||||
| 17-18 | 3 | ||||||
| 18-19 | University: Undergraduate (大学 daigaku; gakushi-katei) |
National Academy (大学校 daigakkō) |
Medical School (医学部 Igaku-bu) Veterinary school (獣医学部 Juigaku-bu) Dentistry School (歯学部 Shigaku-bu) Pharmaceutical School (薬学部 Yakugaku-bu) National Defense Medical College (防衛医科大学校, Bōei Ika Daigakkō) |
Community College (短期大学 Tanki-daigaku) Vocational School (専門学校 Senmon-gakkō) |
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| 19-20 | Associate | ||||||
| 20-21 | |||||||
| 21-22 | Bachelor | ||||||
| 22-23 | Graduate School: Master (大学院修士課程 Daigaku-in Shūshi Katei) |
National Academy: Master (大学校修士課程 Daigakkō Shūshi katei) |
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| 23-24 | Master | ||||||
| 24-25 | Graduate School: Ph.D (大学院博士課程 Daigaku-in Hakushi Katei) |
National Defense Academy: Ph.D (防衛大学校博士課程 Bōei Daigakkō Hakushi katei) |
Medical School: Ph.D (医学博士 Igaku Hakushi) Veterinary School: Ph.D (獣医学博士 Juigaku Hakushi) Dentistry School: Ph.D (歯学博士 Shigaku Hakushi) Pharmaceutical School: Ph.D (薬学博士 Yakugaku Hakushi) |
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| 25-26 | |||||||
| 26-27 | Ph.D | ||||||
| 27-28 | Ph.D | ||||||
Read more about this topic: Education In Japan
Famous quotes containing the words school and/or grades:
“By school age, many boys experience pressure to reveal inner feelings as humiliating. They think their mothers are saying to them, “You must be hiding something shameful.” And shucking clams is a snap compared to prying secrets out of a boy who’s decided to “clam up.””
—Ron Taffel (20th century)
“Kindliness seems to exist primarily as an animal instinct, so deeply rooted that mental degeneracy, which works from the top down, does not destroy it until the mind sinks to the lower grades of idiocy.”
—Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929)