Japanese Schools

If you move to Japan with children, you’ll need to give some thought about what education you want them to receive. Japan has a mixed education system, with state-funded public schools sitting alongside fee-paying private schools, including many good standard international schools. Japan scores highly overall in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings, especially for science and mathematics. Compulsory schooling is for children aged 6-15, consisting of primary and lower secondary school. However, many children attend pre-school education (nurseries or kindergartens) from the age of three and go on to complete three years of upper secondary schooling from the ages of 15-18. Following this, they can enrol in further education if they have the necessary qualifications. State Schooling in Japan Japanese citizens and residents can enrol their children for free state schooling from the age of six. This consists of six years of primary school and three years of lower secondary school. Most pupils then continue into three years of upper secondary school to prepare them for university or other further education. Other options include: State schooling in Japan is typically location-based, meaning your child will be sent to a school close to where you live. Standards in…