Japan(MT)


 * Japan (Mariah Thorpe)**


 * Intro:** Japan is well known across the globe for very formalized appearances in education. Many exchange programs report the strict and very structured appearances of Japanese schools and school age youth. Pre-schools, elementary schools, secondary schools, and post secondary schools all have structured settings. Each school level has public institutions as well as many privatized counterparts. In Japan students start kindergarten at as early as 3 years old. Following elementary school, students are in elementary school from 6 years old to 12 years old. Middle school which Japanese also refer to as lower school, serves students ages 12 to 15. Upper school or high school is for students up to age 18.


 * Primary Education:** Almost all children are enrolled in kindergarten and elementary school. The enrollment rate ranges from 99.97 to 100%. The average teacher ratio at the primary level is 18.5 to 1. Most schools are public at this level and are formulated to better prepare students for the next level of curriculum. The focus ranges from success in basic skills to success in independence and group leadership and awareness of surroundings.


 * Secondary Education:** Secondary education is split into lower and higher level, with lower level being the compulsory portion of the two. The enrollment number in 2007 was 7,427,059. The focus in curriculum emphasizes Japanese cultural traditions and practices as well as higher level skills in science, mathematics, and technology. Teachers at this level tend to be well trained and graduates of higher learning programs. This level also places an enormous level of emphasis on independence in order to experience a higher level of success for participation in society.


 * Tertiary Education:** The population for tertiary education in Japan was 3,382,916 in 2009. Fields of study include Agriculture, Education, Engineering, Manufacturing, Construction, Health, Welfare, Humanities, Arts, Sciences, Business, Law, and general studies. While both males and female s attend universities and higher level educational programs there is a marginal increase in the amount of men attending school at this level.


 * Human and Financial Resources:**In 2007 there were 390,542 primary school teachers and 607,663 secondary teachers. Japanese government continues to support growth and curricular development in education in order to be competitive amongst other educational leaders in the world. There continue to be challenges with funding, but with increases in privatized school Japan continues to compete with private schools to offer the same quality education for students of all ages.