Japanese high school rules

Japanese high school rules

In Japan, and especially at private schools, the rules regarding clothes (uniform) and hair-style are very strict. Japanese have naturally black hair, so the rule is that everyone should have their hair black. Lately it has been a fad for Japanese to dye their hair in different colors, usually brown or dark red. When teachers notice this, students will be scolded and send to a beautician to fix their hair and dye it black again.

At my high-school the students must wear their uniform in the morning when they come to school and also when going home. When school ends around three thirty, students leave in groups and walk toward the nearest station. On the way there, teachers will sometimes stand guard to make sure all students are wearing their uniform and that their buttons are closed. However, many students are a member of a club here in Japan. So after school they will practice and go home around eight. At this late hour, there are no teachers along the road so some might go home wearing their sports wear.

The image of a private school here in Japan is extremely important. Of course test scores and successful admission to high-level universities play a significant role. But the general impressions of the students, who are seen on the street and in shopping malls, weigh heavily too. It are the junior high schools who send and recommend high-schools to their students and naturally the opinion of the school and attitude of the high-school students will be take into consideration. Parents pay lots of money to private schools to have their children put through high-school education.