Differences in the U.S./Japanese School Systems

Hello! Welcome to the U.S.!

Before you come to see our school, there's some basic information you need to know. There are some key differences between how schools are run in the U.S. and how schools are run in Japan. Here are some things you may find strange when you come to visit:

-In American high schools, the teachers stay in one classroom for the entirety of the day and the students move from class to class. The time between classes is called the "passing period".

-Cleaning isn't done by students. Certain faculty members called "Janitors" are paid to clean the school. Students are expected to throw away trash, but are otherwise unaffiliated with the school's cleanliness.

-Public high schools in America don't require entrance exams.

-Every classroom has a "whiteboard". Whiteboards are written on with a specific type of marker which is much easier to clean than chalk. Also, some classrooms have interactive whiteboards called "smartboards".

-Certain busses called "school busses" are specifically designed to take students to their school. School busses don't stop at any location other than residential streets (to pick up students) and the school.

-Refrigeration of meals occurs at all times. All of the school's food is sent to the school in advance. There, it is kept in refrigeration until either someone purchases it or it passes its expiration date. Milk is a popular drink at lunch because of its constant refrigeration.

-American football is directly linked to school spirit. You will be arriving in the middle of football season. The student's morale is directly affected by the success of their team.

-Our school has no uniforms. However, there is a dress code. You may wear whatever you wish as long as it fits into those parameters. The dress code for our school district can be found here; http://www.neisd.net/neisdinfo/DressCode.htm under "The Following Rules are to be Followed"

- Every classroom has free internet access. It is not unusual to see students on their phones during breaks or passing period.

-Homework is accepted late in America. However, any late work has its grade penalized.

-There is no school for three months in the summertime. This is called "summer break" and serves as a transition from one break to the next. We will be visiting Japan during our summer break.

-There is no such thing as "cram school" in the United States. Instead, students can choose to have tutoring sessions with specific teachers before/after school.

-More focus goes to extracurriculars and electives. These are the deciding factors that determine whether an American student will make it into a certain college, so they get a lot of attention and focus.