アンキのリサーチについて

            Hi everyone, this is Anki. I have been in Japan for a week now with friends from University of Calgary. I am very amazed and overwhelmed by Japanese culture and custom. Everyone is nice towards foreigners and they are very courteous. People and RAs (Resident Assistants) create a warming and family-like environment in the dormitory where I live in, it is called Senshu International House. I am enjoying and cherishing my time at iHouse.

In this blog I am going to explain my research topic regarding Japanese entrance exams, also referred as the National centre test. The national centre test is the most life-impacting event that happens almost in every Japanese high school students’ life on their way pursuing higher education to universities. Although there is also entrance exams for junior high school students to get into high schools, it is not as overwhelming as the high school students’ entrance exams to universities.

The entrance exam occurs every January nationwide and lasts two days. First day is for literacy courses exams, for example, Japanese, History and such. The second day is for science courses such as math, science, chemistry and such. Different majors that the students pursue after getting into universities have different grade requirements, the grade requirement for different universities are also different. The more famous and better universities require higher exam grades. The results of entrance exams are the only thing to determine the path of Japanese high school students. Unlike in Alberta, although there are diploma exams in high school, the grades only count as a certain percent for the entire course grade. Therefore, I wonder if it is better that the Japanese entrance exams are so strict and competitive.

You might wonder, what if the student did not get a good grade, or the student failed the exam, what would they do, does it mark an ending to the student’s career? The answer is no, if the student did not get high enough grade on the national centre test, which did not satisfy the entrance requirement for his or her desired university, they will have to take the national centre exam again a year after. During the blank year for students who is taking the exam in the next year, they will be studying or even go to cram schools to study in order to get into their desired universities. Students like this are referred as Ronin, which means a Samurai without a master in ancient Japan. Comparing the Japanese education system on entrance exams, Canadian students’ lives are easier for getting into the universities. However, the life in Japanese university is easier than the life in Canadian universities so I guess the Canadian students paid off the easiness after getting into universities.

I am still on the progress of doing a questionnaire on how Japanese people think of the Japanese entrance exam and whether they prefer Japanese education system (on entrance exams) or Alberta education system. I will update more on my research regarding Japanese entrance exam on my next blog!