Муниципальное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение

«Видновская средняя общеобразовательная школа №2» 

RESEARCH PROJECT

        OVERVIEW AND COMPARISON OF RUSSIAN ED SYSTEM

AND JAPANESE ED SYSTEM

ВЫПОЛНИЛ: УЧЕНИК 9 «В» КЛАССА

БИТОКОВ ТИМУР АРТУРОВИЧ

1. PRESCHOOL

Well, to start with, let’s get back in time and return to a preschool.

Preschool education is the first level of study to be learned by a human. They are frequently represented by kindergartens. In Russia, every kid has a right to go to one once they are at least two months old, which is very young compared to Japan, where you must be at least 3 years old.

While we have almost 8 crazy years to stay in kindergarten, Japanese only have 2, you’ll ask why?

Well, that’s because they have 12 classes to go through at school, therefore Japanese start going to school once they are 6, that isn’t the case for us and for me personally. I went to school when I was 7 and that’s very popular among Russian kids.

But you see, I did more research and found out, that you can actually enroll your kid for daycare once you receive a birth certificate. However, daycare doesn’t really count as an educational institution, so that’s why I have to exclude that from our comparison.

And you probably ask me what is a daycare, I mean, once I started talking about it, why not also explain what it is.

To be short, daycare is the care provided to newborns and toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children.

To be honest, we also have a similar thing, that I didn’t tell about. You see, when I told that we can go to kindergarten once we become 2 months old, it’s not so true, while we surely can do that, it’s not the same kindergarten system, it’s actually more daycare like crèche groups for younger ones.

Then you perhaps will say something like, the heck, then what is the actual difference between two?

And there it is, you should probably know that it’s not compulsory to go to the kindergarten or crèche in Russia, whatever you call it, yet in Japan it is.

To sum up, in Russia you can go to the crèche group once you are 2 months old and the crèche group kind of counts as a kindergarten. And you can stay there till you’re 8 years old.

In Japan though, you can apply for various daycare organizations once parent received the birth certificate, even so they aren’t connected with the actual preschool government kindergartens. And only after you turn 3, you must enroll in the kindergarten where you will stay for 2 years.

2. SCHOOL

In both Russia and Japan there are a few levels of school education which are Primary general secondary education, Basic general secondary education, Complete general secondary education in Russia and simpler called Primary education and Secondary education.

At first it seems that the difference is only in the names, yet it’s not what you think.

Firsts things first if you noticed, there’s one level less in Japan and the answer is pretty obvious. They simply have primary education for 6 years, so there’s the first difference, while Russian primary education is 4 years of elementary school and then you are getting brought to the middle, which lasts for another 5 and if you didn’t decide to go to the college you can go to the high school, which is last 2 years represented by 10th and 11th grades.

On the other hand, in Japan, elementary school is whole 6 years and they don’t have middle school, but they do have junior high school and if you know that in the US they call high school years not just by numbers but they have freshman’s, sophomore, you name it, there’s some binds kind of.

So, aren’t you tired from all of the formal stuff? Let’s actually step in the everyday school routine of both so different cultures.

(picture #1)

In Russia we have pretty popular 5 2 curriculum, I think I don’t need to explain. And that’s also the case for Japan. While very few might have 6 1, 5 2 is the way almost everyone goes.

Our classes usually start at 8:30 and a study day consists of 10 to 20 minutes breaks between them, one lesson pretty often lasts 40 to 45 minutes. Elementary students typically have 3-5 classes a day, while in high school I can’t rest peacefully from those mad work days, in high school there are 7 to 9 classes a day.

In Japan though schools have classes five days a week, from Monday to Friday. There are also schools that have classes on Saturday. In junior high and high schools, there are six class periods each day, typically lasting 50 minutes for each. After classes, students clean the classrooms in shifts and then start their club activities. There are a variety of clubs such as cultural and sports ones.

It’s all shown on the picture below

(picture #2)

After each topic written, we see a strong difference between two and that’s not the end. There will be my commentary after which we’ll move forth.

I have to say it, I don’t like our school system, I will explain in a moment.

I don’t know how it is in Japan or US or basically any foreign country, but let me tell my own story.

So, 4 years ago I enrolled into the music school, We’ve done all of the paper work and there the main stage comes in – you need to choose. I had to choose what instrument I want to learn. Guitar, violin, piano, you name it. You won’t guess with what I went, I chose a synth, however I didn’t know yet what was about to happen. You see, aside from the instrument lessons, you also have a choir and a music theory, I won’t talk about a choir. Let’s talk about a music theory instead.

I will tell you how it was for me, a music theory lasts 90 minutes and I had to go in and out for another half an hour, so if we do the math, that’s nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, for what? I didn’t know, like, I genuinely didn’t understand why I have to do this, so, of course I’ve been massively skipping. And here we came very close to my point.

One day I was watching some videos and then this ad appeared, it was about music production and there was something about it, it really gave me an idea and why I should know a music theory -because I wanted to become a music producer. In a nutshell, 1 year after, I am a music producer and finally I realized the thing with music theory, you see, while I was studying in a music school I didn’t need it, I didn’t care because I didn’t need it to play the synth, I already knew all the notation things. It just was that they won’t tell you these things, I didn’t care because I didn’t see an opportunity. We can well connect it with ordinary schools, like, why do I have to learn math, the heck? Isn’t it more effective to put more hours into things I want to learn, who cares about an algebra? And I don’t want to be mean and look lame and lazy, but it is the lack of motivation, the lack of things we actually need to be taught. Do they tell you at school how to make money? I’m dead serious, you know, there’s not the knowledge behind being rich, of course it does help, but on the other hand how do you turn your knowledge into money?

At the end of this topic I’d like to tell some interesting facts about Japanese schools

1. To enter a school, every kid has to pass the exams. That’s compulsory showing the level of knowledge even at such early age.
2. Education in elementary and secondary schools is free. Education in high schools and universities is always paid.
3. Every school has its unique uniform.
4. They have no homework in primary schools. But Japanese secondary and high school students write papers, essays and have plenty of other assignments all the time.
5. Right by every school entrance door there is a special shelf for shoes.
6. Only a natural hair color is acceptable in most Japanese schools.
7. Most often, boys are allowed to have short hair only.
8. At some schools, girls are not allowed to polish nails, do even basic makeup and wear jewelry (except the watches).
9.  A typical Japanese classroom consists of 30-40 pupils.
10.  As a rule, students stay in the same classroom during the entire year. Those are the teachers who go from a classroom to classroom.
11. To read and write in Japanese, kids have to learn nearly 2500 symbols.
12. Plus, Japanese kids have to learn to write in three different styles: proper Japanese hieroglyphic symbol, Japanese version of Chinese hieroglyphic symbols, and Latin symbols.
13. The major subjects in Japanese schools are: Math, Language, Social Science, Craftsmanship, Music and Physical Education.
14. Additionally, kids in Japan study Healthy Way of Life, IT, Culture, Housekeeping, Haiku and Calligraphy.
15. All schools are well stocked with a high-end technical equipment and a broadband internet connection.
16. There are no genitors in Japanese schools. As a rule, pupils are distributed in small groups being in charge of certain school chores like cleaning, dusting, etc.
17. Summer vacation lasts for 40 days from mid-July till late August. Winter and spring – for 10 days. There are no holidays in autumn.

3. HIGHER EDUCATION

I won’t tell you about our higher education because you already know that, or do you?

Just in case, I got this text for you.

Russia’s modern higher education system is based on the Bologna Process and includes such levels of education as a bachelor’s degree, a specialist degree, a master’s degree, a postgraduate, a clinical internship etc. Bachelor's Degree This is a complete higher education course. The individuals who have completed education equivalent to Russian general secondary or vocational secondary education can enroll in a Bachelor's Degree course. The 4-year course provides general training in fundamental subjects. At the end of the programs, students defend their thesis. If successful, they are awarded with a Bachelor's Degree certificate (BA, BSc). The certificate grants the right to work in their professional field or to further their studies on a Master's Degree course. Specialist Degree Unlike Bachelor's Degrees, Specialist Programs are more focused on a practical work in the selected industry. These programs are offered to the individuals who have an education equivalent to Russian general secondary or vocational secondary education. The course is designed for 5 years. Based on the examination results and thesis defense students receive a Specialist Degree certificate specifying the qualification (e.g., "Astronomer," "Teacher," "Information Security Specialist," etc.). The Graduates may work in industry or further their studies on a postgraduate course or a Master's course. Master's Degree This course allows in-depth specialization in the student’s chosen field. The Applicants with Bachelor’s or Specialist Degrees can enroll in Master's courses. For two years students are specifically trained for the research work. After the thesis defense a Master's Degree certificate is awarded with a Master qualification.

The Japanese higher education system is a very powerful tool for their national politics and culture. The Academic accomplishments of the students studying in Japan are higher and befitted the international criteria and standards. The general policy, the management and the administration are under the authority of the Ministry of Education.

The Japanese Government has the authority to sanction the formation of all new higher education institutions, both private and public. The finances of the Universities, Junior Colleges, Specialized Colleges, Graduate Schools and College of Technology come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education or Monbusho. It also lays down the minimum standards for the universities with a regard to curriculum, the facilities, a qualification and the number of teachers. Many institutions can exercise autonomy in many issues, but the Ministry of Education (Monbusho) keeps hold of the main influence over the growth and development of higher education in Japan.

The higher education in Japan begins after the completion of 12 years of education comprising, 6 years of elementary education and 6 years of secondary education (lower and upper secondary schooling). The students graduating from High school are eligible to go for higher education in Japan.  Around 45% students from high school opt for higher education.

picture #2

4. THE FINALE.

Short story long, I’m running outta time and the deadline is literally tomorrow, so I gotta end my project right here and finally compare The samurai Japanese and The Behemoth Russian education systems to finally find the stronger one and figure out what can the weaker one borrow.

        To be more fair, we will look at OECD

Japanese students consistently rank highly among OECD students in terms of a quality and a performance in reading literacy, mathematics, and sciences. Japan is one of the top-performing OECD countries in reading literacy, mathematics and sciences on a Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests with the average student scoring 520, compared with the OECD average of 488, placing it on the eighth ranking in the world in 2018. Japan's populace is well educated and its society highly values education as a platform for a socioeconomic mobility and for a gaining employment in the country's high-tech economy. The country's large pool of highly educated and skilled individuals is largely responsible for ushering Japan's post-war economic growth. Tertiary-educated adults in Japan, particularly graduates in sciences and engineering, get an economically and a socially benefit from their education and skills in the country's high tech economy.

In a nutshell, while I was looking for an answer to that, I’ve found too much information so I will just list it here.

Japan usually takes from 8th to 3rd place by a level of education by OECD,

Though Russia is just on the 22th place, well, that's very questionable, considering that it’s literally neighboring with PORTUGAL???

Yet the base of the bases always was an engineering and a computer science, and that’s where Japan is literally the 3rd in the world while Russia is only 32.

Out of my curiosity I also did a math and found out that if we convert Japanese Yen to Rubles, we’ll get that Japan only has 300 billion rubles, but we have 500 billion and yet we are losing.

I don’t know the exact problem though, but there are some unclear things with teachers in our country, I think they are getting hugely underpaid and thus, doing their work to teach very poorly, basically half of them couldn’t care less and don’t want anything.

So at the end of the day Japan won. Well, for me, the clubs seem me pretty fun and the fact that they don’t have a home work in a primary school and I also love watching an anime and judging by them the mangas and other Japanese magazines in which there are schools. I gotta say they look pretty fun.

Sources:

1. https://studyinrussia.ru/en/study-in-russia/info/levels-of-education/.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education in Japan.
3. https://education.jnto.go.jp/en/school-in-japan/japanese-education-system/