Conclusion of this blog about Cram schools

In this blog, I have introduced cram schools in detail. I introduce them again in short words.

・Cram schools are intend to get profits by teaching subjects to students.

・There are many kinds of cram schools.

・The reason why there are a lot of demands for cram schools in Japan is entrance examinations,  dissatisfaction with public schools, and the trend of cram schools.

・There are many differences of cram schools between Japan and other countries because of differences of entrance examinations and attitude toward education.

Education can be considered from many points, for example cram schools(that is one type of businesses).

And cram schools are one of the education.

Advantage and defect of cram schools in Japan at present

Advantage:
・You can be prepare to entrance examination more specially.
　Teachers will teach only subjects that are important for exams.   In public schools, you have to learn not only subjects but physical education, human relationships, and so on. But in cram schools, you can be consentrate to study subjects that are important for exams.

・You can get good friends.
　There are many students who aim to study more hardly. So you can look for good friends who have the same goal as yours. They will help you to study.

・

Defect:
・Sometimes too study hard.
 You will go to cram schools after school or holidays. You probably will not have enough free time, so you cannot play with friends, go shopping or play sports, etc...  Not only studying is important thing for students. The balance between studying and refleshing is important.

・You have to spend much money.
 You cannot study at cram schools with no money. Tuition fees are tend to be high, so parents have a lot of effort to make you go to cram schools. You should study hard for not only yourself but your parents.


Of course there are other advantages and defects of cram schools. I think it is important to understand cram schools from many views. If we can do so, we can understand them more deeply.

Comparison Japanese cram schools with American

There are few cram schools in America because American use "cram schools" as pejorative word. The word "cram school" means like studying too hard.




But of course there are similar businesses that called "tutoring services" or "test preparation centers." Generally, such supplementary instruction is only used in the United States as a way to assist students who have learning disabilities or are struggling academically in a particular subject. So there are some differences between Japanese cram schools and "tutoring services" and "test preparation centers."



As background of these differences, there are differences of  education systems. Let's consider the case of university as example. In Japan, at first enlloling is important. Entrance examinations are difficult and basically students are free after enlloling. Entrance examinations are  In America, entrance examinations are comparatively easy(these tests measure that students have basic accademimic achivement enough to study at universities ) and students study very hard after enlloling.

In other words, there are differences understanding of education between Japan and America, like Japan and Europe. But american students also have to take exam, so there are simillar businesses to cram school. I thought that we should learn from American students. Some Japanese students become neglect after enlloling because they are relieved to finish entrance examinations(one of them is me...)

Comparison Japanese cram schools with European

In fact, few students go to cram school in Europe(in this sentence, cram school means the school that students study hard to enter high schools and universities ). So there are not the concept of cram schools.


I will explain you why there are not the concept in Europe. European have the image that everyone does not aim at the same goal because there are big differences of academic ability among people in European society. European public schools are required the education that people respect each personality and get academic ability that suited indivisuals. From these background, European education system has created.

However, there are cram schools for Japanese students. They are of course to support Japanese students studying. As you can understand from this example, the concept of cram schools are unique, especialy Asian have this concept.



There are few cram schools in Europe but private teachers are more popular. European students also have to study for entrance examination, so they are usually helped by private teachers. In Paris, more and more students are educated by them.
In other words, private teachers are like cram schools in Europe.

Comparison Japanese cram schools with Asian.

Southeast Asian cram schools are simillar to Japanese and  cram schools are more and more popular there. In this time, I will especially show you the case of Korea and China.

China

What cram schools do is the same as Japanese cram schools.  One's school background is so important due to Rapid economic growth in China.So it is very important to study hard for entrance examinations. And  Chinese students can take entrance examination only once a year because most universities are national universities in China. These are the reasons why cram schools are popular in China.

 

Korea

What cram schools do is the same as Japanese cram schools but study hours are much longer than Japanese cram schools.Students usually study until late at night in cram schools. They study in public schools and cram schools, in other words, they study all day long!

There is the reasons why students need to study too hard. The percentage of students who enter universities is the highest in the world. In the day of entrance examination, surprisingly, the nation supports students.For example, frights are controlled to reduse noises. In Korea, one's school background is regarded as so important that there are the trend students must study hard and enter good universities.
But there are bad problem that costs for education are too high. Monthly tuition fee of cram schools are very high because they take lessons until late at night. To solve this problem, the minister of state tries to reduse tuition fee and activate public schools.

You will notice that there are not only good point but bad point of cram schools. Studying is naturaly important but I want to think it is not good to study too hard : ) 

Recentry, Service industry like cram schools is focussed in Southeast Asia so Japanese cram schools will possibly advance into it. The one of Japanese cram schools have already advanced, that is "KUMON".



Why there are a lot of demands for cram schools in Japan?

There are a lot of demands for cram schools because, in short, entrance examinations, the dissatisfaction with public schools,and the trend of cram schools. I will explain these factors.



Entrance examination

When you want to enter a high school or university, you have to pass the entrance examination. You have to get high points in the test to enter famous schools. You have to study hard and efficiently to get high points. You can make use of cram schools to study hard and efficiently.These are one reason why there are a lot of demands for cram schools in Japan.

Educational backgrounds are taken very seriously in Japanese society, and other developed countries'. So in many countries, probably it occur that many students go to cram schools to enter famous schools.

Dissatisfaction with public schools

In public schools, teachers cannot teach only subjects but also human relationships, the respect to others, and so on. What to teach is determinated by Ministry of education. Moreover, after "Yutori kyoiku", which Ministry of education carried out, there is the critical opinion that scholastic ability decllined.

However in cram schools, teachers nearly teach only subjects because Cram schools' purpose is to make students pass entrance examinations.
So if parents want teachers to teach students subjects more thoroughly for entrance examination, cram schools may be more suitable for them.



The trend of cram schools
Many parents make their children go to cram shools now. Possibly they feel anxiety like "Is education in public schools really sufficient? ", "Only my son do not go to cram school ?". I think it is one reason why cram schools are popular that there are Japanese custom,"Harmony with others".
I think it is not important whether you go to cram schools or not, and cram schools are only one way to study more efficiently.

Many kinds of Japanese cram schools

There are many types of education at cram schools. I will show you some types.

1.Group guidance(in big class)

A teacher teach more about 10 students in the same class.The advantage of this type is, for example, that students are motivated by competition with others. This type are suited especially for who like competition and  is positive. But there is also demerit of this type. That is that teachers cannot be concerned with each students closely. So you have to be positive to get the advantage.

2.Group guidance in small class

A teacher teach 5~10 students in the same class. the advantage and demerit are simillar to that of Group guidance. The difference between big class and small class is that teachers can teach students more closely in small class. So I recommend this type to students who hesitate the Indivisual guidance but want teachers to teach more closely.

3.Individual guidance

Meiko gijuku(please look at "Famous cram schools in Japan") adopt this type. A teacher teach each students, like "one to one". The advantages of this type are, for example, that teachrs can keep them under control easily and teach them by using the way that is suited for each students.So I recommend this type to students who is passive to study, do not like competition, and want teachers to decide what to study.

4.Support self-study

In this type, students study by themselves, and teachers support them. They can ask to teachers what they cannot understand and how to study. I recommend this type to students who like studying in their own way and can plan what to study. But It is not suited for students who like finishing homework steadily because they have to decide what to do by themselves in this type.

There are many types of how to teach at cram schools, so it is important to look for the type that is suited for oneself.

Famous cram schools in Japan

I will introduce some famous cram schools in Japan .

1.Meiko gijuku  
A feature of this school is individual guidance. A teacher teach to a student. You can choose what class you take freely, so students can take classes which is suited for each students.This school is one of the biggest cram schools in Japan, and the number of students are over a hundred thousand. Moreover, this school adopt the franchise system, so each schools are a little different.
（http://www.meikogijuku.jp/）

2.Yotuya otuka

There are this schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This schools are special schools for the entrance examination of junior high schools. There are professional teachers, and there are not many part-time job teachers, so quality of education is good. Moreover this school reveals the tuition, so parents will be relieved when their children enter this school.  But to our regrets, this schools carry out an entrance examination....
（http://www.yotsuyaotsuka.com/）

3.Kawai juku
There are this schools all over Japan. This schools are especially famous for measures against the entrance examination of uiversities.Teachers teach students by not only giving lessons but also using images. This schools are pioneer of education by using images. Moreover, this schools carry out many practice exams and publish many reference books.
（http://www.kawai-juku.ac.jp/）






These schools are only a few example of  famous cram schools in Japan. Every school have various features, so students have to choice carefully.

Differences between public schools and cram schools

Public schools:
・What teachers teachs is determined by Japanese ministry of education.
・Teachers must teach many students evenly.

・Students can learn many things widely.For example, the activity, human relationships, school events and so on.

Cram schools:

・there are not rules aboout what teachers teachs. So how to teach to students is various.

・Cram schools are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examination of high schools or universities.

・Teachers are professional of teaching subject.

・Cram schools are one of the bussines.

In short, public schools educate evenly, and education of cram schools forcus teaching subject more.

The definition and history of Japanese cram schools

Definition:

Cram schools are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or univeristies.

The English name is derived from the slang term "cramming", meaning to study hard or to study a large amount of material in a short period of time.

The history:

First of all, Japaanese cram schools started  at Heian era. People who could go cram schools were very rich until 16C.  At Edo era, cram schools spread to the public as "Terakoya". People learned reading, writing, and "Soroban" that used to culculate. And from 1960s,cram schools have more developed because many rich parents wanted better  education for their children. 1960s was Rapid economic growth.
Now, students have so many examination that they usually go to cram schools.