As my son begins sixth grade, the final year of elementary school here in Japan, I feel a sense of panic.
Have I taught him all he needs to know to navigate the choppy waters of adolescence?
(Mental note: enroll him in swimming lessons while I am still master of his schedule.)
Is his English up to par for his age?
(Reading: yes, writing: no. Another mental note: make more time for him to practice his English writing! He’ll need incentives…. Sticker charts won’t work anymore, what will we do?)
Does he have the ability to identify the difference between a true friend and a jerk? Somehow I don’t think so.
And then there are the looming educational choices. We never really considered that he would need to take the entrance exam for a private junior high, but recently I’ve heard unpleasant rumors about the neighborhood public junior high school. We never sent our son to cram school, so it would seem a private junior high isn’t an option. Are the local schools good enough? Should we start cramming now, sit the test, and hope for the best? Maybe put him into international school? But those are all expensive options that we couldn’t realistically afford for two children.
I have gradually come to the realization that most children in Japan at some point will have to attend cram school. This is something I have wanted to avoid. In my heart I believe that kids learn best through play, and that forcing them into cram schools and extra study stunts their growth in other areas. I had hoped that studying English at home would give them a big enough advantage to get into whatever school they aspire to, but I have to admit that I no longer believe it is enough. My anti-cram school, pro-childhood stance has limited my children’s options for junior high. I need to stop and reassess, then make some choices about a high school entrance exam system that I don’t really understand.
We are a family that could make that happen, financially, with some sacrifices.
But what about all of those families for whom it isn’t possible?
The cold, hard truth is that seemingly egalitarian Japan is quietly becoming a country of have and have nots.
It feels unfair and somehow immoral that children are not able to make the best of the gifts they were born with because of an entrance exam system that requires attendance at expensive cram schools to have a shot at the best schools, public or private.
Childhood poverty is a growing problem in this country. I hope the education system evolves to give every child a chance to follow their dreams.
Do all children in your country continue into secondary education? What process is used to place students?
Photo Credit to the author.
Dear Melanie, in South Africa we don’t have cram schools, but I believe that every country has its own education challenges. We have decent government schools, dreadful government schools and very expensive private schools. In South Africa, children are supposed to attend school from age 6 to age 16, although there are actually 12 grades to obtain a “Matric Certificate” (with which you can apply to college or university). We couldn’t afford private school for our children, but both of them have done better for themselves than friends who *did* attend private school. My son is now 23 years old and is studying computer science at Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany) and my daughter is in her 2nd year of a BA Degree in Visual Communications. Trust your instincts with regards to any school. There *will* be great teachers and awful teachers, good days and bad ones, smiles and tears … and it *will* all be over faster than you can imagine! I believe that (as long as your children know that grades don’t matter as much to you as knowing that they tried their best) they will be able to overcome whatever obstacle is put in their way. Good luck with your decision!
I found this timely because I am starting to think about my older son’s future years transitioning to middle and high school. He is in the public school system, but I find myself reassessing everything as we head towards the next phase of change. I wasn’t familiar with cram schools! It raises an interesting point on how to navigate the system while sticking to your educational philosophy. I wish you the best of luck and would love an update!