Chugakko Houmon visiting junior high schools

Here in Japan there are quite a few private high schools which have to recruit new students every year. My high school is located in area where there are only a few private high schools. In Japan the public high schools’ level is usually higher than that of private high schools. In the third grade of junior high school students take entrance exams to enter a high school. If students flunk the test the only option they have is to go to a private high school. Private high schools however, are much more expensive so students study hard to pass the examination. During the last ten years or so, the Japanese population has been significantly decreasing so it is becoming more difficult to recruit new students every year. Our high school has scholarships for students with high academic scores and for students who are excellent at sports. Having a strong sport club will attract more students which is good for the school.

Last Friday all the teachers of my high school went to visit junior high schools. This is called Chugakko Houmon. Usually two teachers pair up and visit about six to eight junior high school to talk to the teachers there. We inform them of our best academic achievements, top universities where our students were able to pass the exam, and best performance of our clubs. Last year the table tennis club was number one of the prefecture and the tennis club played on national level. We prepared brochures for each graduating student at the junior high schools and some posters to be hung on the school wall.

Together with another teacher I visited six junior high schools in Mito city, Ibaraki prefecture. In Mito city the competition is quite fierce because that city has more than ten private high schools. My high school is located about forty kilometers from Mito city in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rice paddies. Students or parents of students who are looking for decent education and raising well behaved children often choose for my school. Since there is nothing interesting around this school, students are able to focus on their studies or sport club and won’t be distracted by the temptations of department stores, shopping malls, or amusement arcades. These are some of the strong sales points of my high school. In the past, only a few students from Mito city have chosen to attend my school but hopefully this will change in the near future.

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.