Japan
The Japanese Education System is similar to that in America with six years of elementary school, three years of junior and senior high school and four years of university or two years of junior college. A characteristic of the Japanese school system are entrance exams, and with them a high competitiveness among students.
Most Japanese High School students belong to one or more 'after-school' clubs, taking part in sport, music, art or science.
The majority of high schools require students to wear uniforms. Boys generally wear trousers and jackets with stand-up collars, and girls wear blazers and skirts.
Overview
Students taking part in the High School programme to Japan can choose either a 5 or 10 month stay.
Students will attend an orientation on arrival in Japan and will have regular contact with a member of the EIL Japan office during thier stay.
The programme fee covers the costs of
- school selection and placement in a high school in Japan
- Accommodation with a carefully selected volunteer host family
- Round-trip transfer to/from Tokyo
- Assistance and support of an Area Representative
- Acceptance letter in order to obtain visa
- 24 hours emergency telephone service
- Arrival and departure orientation
School
The purpose of this programme is to allow students to experience both the Japanese culture and school system and as such participants must attend school for the duration of their trip.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Japan is provided by a host family. Host families are located across Japan and provide a variety of different family dynamics.
Unfortunately special requests i.e. location or family size cannot always be accommodated.
Host families accept students as temporary family members and are willing to share their home, time and hospitality to allow those taking part in the High School Programme to experience Japanese culture. Some hosts families may have children who attend the same high school as the participant, however this is not guaranteed.
Programme details
Requirements
- Students must have at least one year study of Japanese and to be able to communicate in English. Those students with no knowledge of Japanese are encouraged to master Hiragana and katakana reading and writing ability, numbers and elementary Japanese grammar prior to the programme. NOTE: Please note that Japanese will be the tool to communicate with EIL Japan, Area Coordinators and school teachers in many cases. The language spoken at host families’ is, of course, Japanese, and all classes at school are conducted in Japanese.
- Participants must be between the ages of 15 and 18 1/2 years old and not have graduated from high school on arrival in Japan. Students need to have maintained the equivalent of at least “B” grade average in their own school
- Students must be of good health, sufficient to succeed on an intellectually, physically, and emotionally rigorous programme. They should have a flexible, socially mature approach to Japanese life and a willingness to live and study anywhere in Japan
- All applicants must attend an interview with EIL in the UK.
Please note:
Students who are vegetarian, have medical conditions or strong religious beliefs should get acceptance from EIL Japan prior to applying for the High School programme, as Host Family placement can be difficult for such students.
Costs
The programme costs for 2011 /2012 are as follows:
| Duration | Cost |
|---|---|
| 10 months | 519,200 Yen |
| 5 months | 443,200 Yen |
Please note, due to fluctuations in the exchange rate, prices are given in Japanese Yen.
Programme Dates
The programme dates for 2011 /2012 are as follows:
| Length | Commencing | Arrival date | Departure date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 months | April 2011 | March 23 2011 | January 6 2012 |
| 10 months | September 2011 | August 17 2011 | June, TBC 2012 |
| 5 months | April 2011 | March 23 2011 | August 5 2011 |
| 5 months | September 2011 | August 17 2011 | January 6 2012 |
Application
If you are interested in taking part in the Japanese High School programme and would like more information please contact EIL.
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