Education in Japan: Interesting Facts. Education system in Japan

In 1954, the mathematics teacher Toru Kumon lived in Japan, and one day his son Takeshi brought a deuce in arithmetic from school. Mr. Kumon was not taken aback and every day began to give his son simple addition tasks that fit on one piece of paper. Soon Takeshi became the best in the class, and the parents of classmates took their children to class with his father.

60 years have passed. Now KUMON training centers are located around the world - in almost 50 countries. More than 4 million children study at the centers using special workbooks.

In Russia, the notebooks of the KUMON center are published by the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber". We talked with Anastasia Kreneva, head of the children's department “MYTH.Children”, about the difference between the Japanese method of child development and the Russian one; what and how do KUMON notebooks teach and what other educational aids for children are there in Russia.

- What is KUMON and what are their "chips"?

KUMON is a Japanese methodology for developing skills that usually need to be developed in a child before school. At KUMON centers, they teach how to hold a pencil, draw lines, cut, glue, count, write numbers and letters.

In total, the series we publish contains more than 50 workbooks - each for a specific skill and age. There are 40 assignments in notebooks, and they are designed for a month or two lessons. The main thing is to practice every day, consistently and little by little. It is very important. The key principle of the entire technique is sequential complication. At first, it is always the simplest, then more and more difficult. This is how they differ from the majority of domestic publications.

So, for example, you can often find this: you open a notebook to prepare your hand for writing, and there one of the first tasks is to circle a flower or sun along the dotted line. And the question immediately arises: how can a two-year-old child, who still cannot even hold a pencil properly, be able to do this? It's also difficult - you need to draw a circle and straight lines coming out at different angles. Not every adult will do well. It's different at KUMON. It all starts with very, very simple things. First, the child learns to draw a short line, in the next task the line is lengthened, then one bend appears, then several, etc. That is, according to the logic of the Japanese, the task with the sun would be at the very end of the notebook ...

Another feature is that KUMON is not only about rote skill training. These notebooks teach the child to be independent. Parental involvement is reduced to zero here. Thanks to illustrations, page design, all tasks are intuitive for a child. He opens the notebook and does everything himself, without prompts. Plus, the Japanese constantly tell their parents that their children must be praised. When you praise children, it increases their self-esteem, they begin to believe in themselves, and the activities themselves cause only positive emotions in them. They themselves want to practice every day. And this is very important - after all, this is how the child also develops a useful habit of classes.

- I heard that the Japanese even think over the thickness of paper for children. This is true?

Yes, they thought of everything they could. Notebooks for children of two years old - small format; notebooks for older children - large. The density of the paper is also different. For example, the thickest paper is used in exercise books for toddlers. The older the child, the thinner the paper. Everything is done to make it comfortable for the child to write. At two years old, it is still difficult for him to hold a pencil and draw a line, so he puts a lot of pressure on the paper. If the paper is thin, it will tear, and this will upset the baby. There will be no satisfaction from the completed task. And next time he won't want to study.

Another example of thoughtfulness, and far from obvious, is in the illustrations for the assignments. At the beginning of the notebook, the tasks are very simple, and the illustrations for them are bright, with many details. The child perceives it all as a game and is immersed in it. The further, the more difficult the tasks. And the picture becomes less saturated and colorful. Why? It is also very simple here: the more difficult the task, the more the child needs to concentrate. Nothing should distract him.

- That is, the reasons for the popularity of KUMON are that everything is very well thought out there?

Yes, but not only. It's also about the emotions of the parents, who see a real result. The child did not know how, for example, to hold a pencil or use scissors. Did 40 exercises - and now he is doing great.

By the way, we made a discovery for ourselves. It turned out that our children have problems with cutting. The most popular exercise book in the entire series is Learning to Cut. In principle, there is an explanation for this. The analogs that are offered on the market today are notebooks with applications. But how can a child cut a circle or a square for applique, if he still does not know how to cut paper? In KUMON, everything is consistent: first we learn to make simple cuts, short, along thick lines, then the lines become thinner and longer, angles, arcs, waves appear, and only then circles and lines of complex shapes.

Another trick is that in cutting notebooks, the child does not just cut out - at the end he gets some kind of toy that he can then play with. For example, some kind of snake, which he cut in a spiral. Or, for example, you cut out a blanket and cover the painted girl with this blanket.

- What types of exercise books are there in Russia?

Developing children's exercise books can be divided into two types. The first is complex development notebooks. These are general developments. Here, within the framework of one notebook or series, there can be everything: both mathematics for kids (forms, opposites, correspondences, etc.), and the general development of speech (groups of words by topic), and creative tasks (to draw, blind, glue). The child develops, learns new things, of course. But the process is completely different, it is intellectual development. Such notebooks do not "put a hand" and do not teach exactly how to cut, as does KUMON. Or, for example, notebooks with stickers are now quite popular. They are wonderful and interesting in their own way. The tasks here are also for general development and, in parallel, for the development of fine motor skills. That is, usually you first need to think, decide what and where to glue, and only then glue.

Until the end of the late Middle Ages, Japan was hidden from the whole world: neither enter nor leave. But as soon as the high walls fell, the world began to actively study this mysterious country, in particular, education in Japan.

Briefly about the main

In the Land of the Rising Sun, education is one of the first and main goals in life. It is it that determines the future of a person. The education system in Japan has hardly changed since the 6th century. Although after the Second World War, it was strongly influenced by the British, French and, in particular, the American systems. The inhabitants of Japan begin to study practically from the cradle. First, parents instill in them manners, rules of behavior, teach them the basics of counting and reading. Next is a nursery, a kindergarten, junior, middle and high schools. After them are universities, colleges or specialized vocational schools.

The academic year is divided into three semesters:

• Spring. From April 1 (this is the beginning of the school year) to mid-July.
• Summer. From September 1st to mid-December.
• Winter. From early January to late March. The academic year ends in March.

After each semester, students take intermediate tests, and exams at the end of the year. In addition to lessons, the Japanese have the opportunity to attend clubs and participate in festivals. Now let's take a closer look at education in Japan.

Preschool institutions

As already mentioned, parents instill etiquette and demeanor. There are two types of kindergarten in Japan:

• 保育園 (Hoikuen)- state center for childcare. These institutions are designed for the smallest. According to a government decree, they were created specifically to support working mothers.
• 幼稚園 (Youchien)- a private kindergarten. Such establishments are designed for older children. Singing, drawing, reading and counting are taught here. More expensive institutions teach English. So they come to school fully prepared.

It should be noted that the main function of kindergartens is not so much teaching, but socialization. That is, children are taught to interact with their peers and society as a whole.

Primary School

Primary school education in Japan starts at the age of six. Most of these establishments are state-owned, but there are also private ones. Primary school teaches Japanese, mathematics, science, music, drawing, physical education and labor. Recently, the teaching of English has been mandatory introduced, which previously began to be taught only in secondary school.

There are no circles as such in elementary school, but extracurricular activities are held, such as sports competitions or theatrical performances. Students wear casual clothes. The only required piece of equipment is a yellow panama hat, an umbrella and a raincoat of the same color. These are mandatory attributes when the class is taken on an excursion, so as not to lose the children in the crowd.

high school

If you translate into a Russian account, then this is training from 7 to 9 grades. A more in-depth study of sciences is added to the subjects of the elementary school. The number of lessons increases from 4 to 7. Interest clubs appear, in which students are involved until 18.00. The teaching of each subject is assigned to a separate teacher. More than 30 people study in the classes.

The peculiarities of education in Japan can be traced in the formation of classes. Firstly, students are distributed according to their level of knowledge. This is especially common in private schools, where it is believed that students with poor grades will have a bad effect on excellent students. Secondly, at the beginning of each semester, students are assigned to different classes so that they learn to quickly socialize in a new team.

Old school

Education in high school is not considered compulsory, but those who wish to go to university (and today it is 99% of students) must graduate. In these institutions, the main focus is on preparing students for university entrance exams. Also, students take an active part in school festivals, circles, attend excursions.

Juku

Modern education in Japan does not end solely with schools. There are special private schools that offer additional classes. They can be divided into two types according to the areas of study:

• Non-academic. Teachers teach a variety of arts. There are sports sections, you can also learn the tea ceremony and traditional Japanese board games (shogi, go, mahjong).
• Academic. Focused on the study of various sciences, including languages.

These schools are mainly attended by students who have missed school and cannot absorb the material. They want to successfully pass exams or prepare to enter a university. Also, the reason why a student may insist on attending such a school may be closer communication with the teacher (in groups of about 10-15 people) or for a company with friends. It is worth noting that these schools are expensive, so not all families can afford them. However, a student who does not attend additional classes has a deliberately losing position in the circle of peers. The only way he can compensate for this is self-study.

Higher education

Higher education in Japan is mainly attended by men. For women, like centuries ago, the role of the keeper of the hearth is assigned, and not the head of the company. Exceptions are becoming more common though. Institutions of higher education include:

• Public and private universities.
• Colleges.
• Schools for special vocational training.
• Technological colleges.
• Institutions of further higher education.

The colleges are mostly girls. The training is 2 years and is taught mainly in the humanities. In technological colleges, individual specialties are studied, the term of study is 5 years. After graduation, the student has the opportunity to enter the university for the 3rd year.

There are 500 universities in the country, 100 of which are state-owned. To enter a public institution, you must pass two exams: the "General Test of First Level Achievement" and an exam at the university itself. To enter a private institution, you only need to take a test at the university.

Tuition fees are high, ranging from ¥ 500,000 to ¥ 800,000 per year. There are scholarship programs available. However, there is a big competition: there are only 100 budget places for 3 million students.

In short, education in Japan is expensive, but the quality of life in the future depends on it. Only those Japanese who have graduated from higher educational institutions have the opportunity to get high-paying jobs and hold leadership positions.

Language schools

The education system in Japan is a cult leading the country to success. If in the post-Soviet space a diploma is a beautiful plastic crust showing that a person has been doing something for 5 years, in the country of the Rising Sun a diploma is a pass to a bright future.

Due to the aging of the nation, higher education institutions are accepting foreign students. Every gaijin (foreigner) has the opportunity to receive a scholarship if his knowledge in a particular field is high. But for this you need to know Japanese well, so there are special language schools for foreign students in the country. They also offer short-term Japanese language courses for tourists.

Studying in Japan is challenging but fun. After all, students have the opportunity to develop harmoniously, independently make decisions and decide their own future. So, education in Japan, interesting facts:

• In elementary school, students are not given homework.
• Primary and secondary education is compulsory and free of charge in public institutions.
• To enter school, you need to pass exams, those who could not pass can try their luck next year.
• Schoolgirls are not allowed to dye their hair, wear makeup and jewelry, except for wristwatches. The appearance of students in schools is carefully monitored. Even socks can be taken away if they are not the right color.
• There are no cleaners in schools. Starting from the initial one, after the end of the class, the students themselves clean the classrooms and corridors.

• Also, each group of students in the class has its own responsibilities. There is a group that is responsible for cleaning the school grounds, organizing events, healthcare, etc.
• In schools, the composition of students is often changed so that children learn to quickly join the team. In higher educational institutions, groups are formed according to the chosen subjects for study.
• "Lifetime recruitment system." Education in Japan is also significant because many universities cooperate with high schools, accepting students with good grades. And above the universities there are well-known companies that recruit graduates. A Japanese person who graduated from a university can be confident in future employment and career advancement. Many Japanese people go from junior employee to department / branch manager and retire with a sense of accomplishment to the country.
• Vacations only last 60 days a year.
• The middle and high school has a unique uniform.
• Each academic year begins and ends with ceremonies where newcomers are welcomed and graduates are congratulated.

Circles and festivals

The development of education in Japan is rooted in antiquity. Already in the 6th century, there was a national education system. The Japanese have always been supporters of early and harmonious development. This tradition continues today. In middle and high school, students are given the opportunity to attend hobby groups. Each circle has its own supervisor, but he interferes with the activities of the club only when there are competitions or creative contests between schools, which happens quite often.

During the holidays, pupils attend school-organized excursions. Trips are carried out not only within the country, but also abroad. After the trips, each class is obliged to provide a wall newspaper in which they will detail everything that was on the trip.

In high school, special attention is paid to such an event as the fall festival. The school allocates 30,000 yen for each class and purchases T-shirts. And the students are required to come up with an event that will entertain guests. Most often, cafeterias and rooms of fear are organized in the classrooms, creative teams can perform in the assembly hall, sports sections organize small competitions.

Japanese schoolchildren have no time to wander the streets of the city in search of entertainment, they are enough for him at school. The government did everything possible to protect the younger generation from the influence of the street, and this idea they did well. Children are always busy, but they are not mindless robots - they are given the right to choose. Most of the school and university activities are organized by students independently, without the help of academic advisors. They come into adulthood fully prepared, and this is the main feature of education in Japan.

In Moscow, Elena Klescheva told Letidor what mental arithmetic is and why every person needs it.

Mental arithmetic is a program for the integrated development of the intellect and thinking of children, based on the formation of the skill of quick verbal counting

In the classroom, children learn quick counting using a special counting board (abacus, soroban). Educators explain how to use knitting needles correctly so that little ones can get an answer to a difficult example almost instantly. Gradually, the attachment to the accounts weakens and the children imagine the actions that they performed with the accounts in their minds.

The program is designed for 2-2.5 years. First, the guys master addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division. A skill is acquired and developed through repeated repetition of the same actions. The methodology is suitable for almost all children, the teaching principle is from simple to complex.

iconmonstr-quote-5 (1)

Classes are held once or twice a week and last one to two hours.

The ancient abacus abacus, on which children count, have been known for more than 2.5 thousand years. Children learn to count on special accounts. It is known that they were used in ancient Rome. In the modern world, abacus counting is common in Japan, China, India, Malaysia, and other countries.

In Japan, abacus counting is included in the official school curriculum.

For over 50 years, mental arithmetic has been part of the public education system in Japan. Interestingly, after graduation, people continue to improve their oral counting skills. In the Land of the Rising Sun, mental arithmetic is considered a kind of sport. They even hold competitions on it. In Russia, international tournaments in Mental arithmetic are now also held annually.

Mental arithmetic develops mechanical and photographic memory

When children count, they use both hemispheres of the brain at once. Mental arithmetic develops photographic and mechanical memory, imagination, observation, improves concentration.

The general level of intelligence rises. This means that it is easier for children to assimilate large amounts of information in a short time. Success in foreign languages ​​is immediately visible. Now you don't have to spend all day memorizing poetry and prose.

iconmonstr-quote-5 (1)

Slower schoolchildren have a faster reaction rate.

There are also unexpected results. Somehow a boy who played tennis came to the center. Mom said that her son had problems with coordination of movements. Unexpectedly, it was possible to solve them precisely at the expense of intensives in mental arithmetic.

Mental arithmetic is more difficult for adults, the optimal age for starting classes is 5-14 years

It is possible to develop the brain with the help of mental arithmetic at any age, but the best results can be achieved before the age of 12-14. Children's brains are very flexible and mobile. At a young age, neural connections are most actively formed in it, so our program is easier for children under 14 years old.

The older a person is, the more difficult it is for him to abstract from his experience and knowledge and simply trust the abacus. I mastered this technique at the age of 45 and constantly doubted whether I was getting it right, whether there was no mistake. This greatly interferes with learning.

But the more difficult it is for a person to master this account, the more benefit from it.

iconmonstr-quote-5 (1)

A person, as it were, overcomes himself, each time he gets better and better.

Classes are not in vain, the brain of an adult is also actively developing.

Just do not expect the same results from an adult as from a child. We can learn the technique, but we won't be able to count as quickly as a second grader does. Experience shows that the optimal age from which it is better to start classes is 6 and 7 years.

The best results are achieved by those who regularly exercise at home.

A prerequisite for training is daily training on the abacus. Just 10-15 minutes. Children need to work out the formula that the teacher gave them in the lesson, and bring their actions to automatism. Only in this case will the child learn to count quickly. The organizational role of parents is important here, who need to monitor regular exercise.

A counting technique called Soroban is now spreading at the speed of light. Its goal is to develop the mental capacity of children by evenly engaging the left and right hemispheres. This technique has been in Japan for more than 25 years, it has been working for 3 years in post-Soviet countries. But the most interesting thing is that the accounts on the basis of which it was built are more than 2.5 thousand years old. And only now, from distant Asian countries, this instrument of account begins to spread throughout the world.

What is an abacus?

Abacus (Abacus), or Soroban, is an ancient abacus that was used in the ancient countries of Asia and Europe. In China they were called abacus (in Latin "abacus"), in Japan - Soroban. However, they were also used in Ancient Rome and Greece. Abacus were slightly modified depending on the country where they were used, but the essence remained the same.

The abacus is a frame divided by a crossbar. There is one line of bones in the upper part. Each bone in it means "five." Below there are rows of bones, each of which has 4 bones. Each of them stands for "one".

The bones on the abacus Soroban, or Abacus, are specially sharpened so that children, turning them over, develop fine motor skills. Abacus abacus stands for units, tens, hundreds, thousands and millions. With the help of Soroban, children quickly master oral counting and can even multiply multi-digit numbers.

How are the lessons going?

The method of teaching abacus Soroban, or Mental arithmetic, allows you to develop the abilities of children to unprecedented heights. The main instrument in this case is the Abacus abacus. In the first stage, children learn to use abacus.

In the second stage, the children imagine the Soroban abacus in their minds. Those. the child begins to imagine Soroban in front of him and make calculations in his mind. At the same time, 3 mathematical actions are mastered:

• addition;
• subtraction;
• multiplication;

The training lasts 2 years. It is best to start learning when your child is 5 to 11 years old. This age is considered optimal. But this does not mean that the Soroban method is not available for older children and adults, it just may take more time to learn.

Classes in the Soroban centers are held for 2 hours 1 time per week. Children are given homework assignments. If they are fulfilled, the trainer gives access to the next ones. A quarter of an hour a day is enough to complete the task. The program can be adjusted individually, depending on how well each child is doing.

How to use?

To learn how to use accounts, you need to know what they are. Accounts consist of:

• framework;
• dividing strip;
• upper bones;
• lower bones.

In the middle is the center point. The upper bones represent fives and the lower ones represent ones. Each vertical stripe of pits, starting from right to left, denotes one of the number digits:

• units;
• tens;
• hundreds;
• thousands;
• tens of thousands, etc.

To postpone the number, it is necessary to move the bones on the accounts to the dividing line, according to the numerical designation corresponding to the number of each digit. For example, to put aside the number 165, you need to move the top bone on the first line to the right (it denotes a five), on the second line - the top and one bottom bone (5 + 1 = 6), on the third line - one bottom. This is how we get the required number.

Further calculations will be accompanied by the movement of the bones along the lines according to the digits.

What does mental arithmetic give?

The Japanese abacus called Soroban teaches not only counting, although children achieve unprecedented success in this. Kids can easily calculate 10-digit numbers in their minds, multiply and subtract. But quick verbal counting is not the main goal.

• ability to concentrate;
• activation of auditory and visual memory;
• improving intuition and ingenuity;
• ability to solve problems outside the box;
• the manifestation of independence and self-confidence;
• realization of abilities and a successful career in the future.

The technique is based on the power of imagination. It is thanks to her that it is possible to speed up thinking, to establish accelerated connections between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Children who studied according to the Soroban method learn foreign languages ​​faster, study well at school, and are more purposeful.

Here you can watch videos of pupils studying at Soroban ™ school

Mental arithmetic is a unique method of preschool development, which is teaching counting and helps to develop a child's thinking. Classes harmoniously develop both hemispheres of the brain, thanks to which even the most pronounced humanitarians “click” problems and equations in the blink of an eye.

The Japanese abacus called soroban is considered to be the basis of the method. This unusual device is rarely seen in our area. It is a "calculator" on which only one-digit representation of numbers is possible. This avoids the confusion associated with regular accounts.

These accounts have an odd number of spokes arranged vertically to represent one digit. There are five knuckles strung on each knitting needle. The four knuckles at the bottom are ones, and the top is five.

Benefits of mental arithmetic

Toddlers learn Japanese mechanical abacus very quickly. It should be noted that this device surprisingly affects the development of thinking in children.

1. Classes on the method force the figurative right hemisphere of the brain to solve mathematical problems. This allows the two hemispheres to be used at the same time, which means the brain works twice as efficiently by practicing mental oral counting.

2. People who have learned to count on soroban can easily carry out the most complex calculations in their minds in the shortest period of time. Craftsmen can do this easily, even without having a soroban in front of their eyes. Even a child can add three-digit numbers in a couple of seconds at the beginning of learning. And with practice, they will learn to operate with numbers with five zeros.

3. Not only success in mathematics, but also in teaching in general, is shown by children who master the method of oral counting. Educators and psychologists note: mental arithmetic improves the concentration and attention of the child, trains observation, memory and imagination, as well as creative, non-standard thinking of the child. The child literally grasps information on the fly, analyzes it with ease.

Oral counting training

The curriculum of elementary schools in Japan has even included the subject - mental mathematics, according to the specialists of the AMAKids children's development center on their website. Thanks to this method, erudite children are annually among the winners of mathematical Olympiads. Also educational programs using sorban are provided in China and Malaysia.

We are also opening schools for the study of Japanese oral counting. It is recommended to start training at the age of 4-11 years. It is during this period that the child's brain is actively "gaining momentum" and developing. This means that it is quite easy to achieve active work of both hemispheres. In adulthood, mental arithmetic serves as a method to prevent atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's. But such phenomenal results that babies demonstrate can no longer be achieved.

Many parents worry that mixing common and Japanese math can confuse the child - and lag behind the basic curriculum in school. In fact, practice shows that children, who previously lacked stars in the exact sciences, showed good results after a couple of months of training and went ahead of their peers.

The Japanese method of oral counting is an original approach to teaching, which is just beginning to develop in our country. This technique not only teaches toddlers to add and subtract numbers instantly. Its main advantage is that it develops the mental abilities of the child, opening up new intellectual opportunities for him.

Prepared by Katerina Vasilenkova