What school is like: school types; school day; subjects

Q: What are the four main levels of the Japanese school system?

The four main levels are 小学校 ( shōgakkō - primary), 中学校 ( chūgakkō - junior high), 高校 ( kōkō - senior high), and 大学 ( daigaku - university).

Q: What is a 塾 ( juku ) in the context of Japanese education?

A 塾 ( juku ) is a cram school or after-school tuition center where students study for competitive entrance exams.

Q: How do you distinguish between private and municipal schools in Japanese?

私立 ( shiritsu ) means private school, while 市立 ( shiritsu ) means city/municipal school.

Q: What is 掃除 ( sōji ) and when does it occur in a Japanese school day?

掃除 ( sōji ) is cleaning time, where students work together to clean their classrooms and hallways.

Q: How do you express a time range from a start point to an end point?

Use the particles 〜から (from) and 〜まで (until).

Q: How do you link multiple actions or verbs in a single sentence?

Use the て-form (Te-form) of the verbs to create a chain of actions.

Q: How do you say "before" and "after" an action in Japanese?

Use [Verb Dictionary Form] + 前に ( mae ni ) for "before" and [Verb Te-form] + から ( kara ) for "after".

Q: What is the difference between 国語 ( kokugo ) and 日本語 ( nihongo )?

国語 ( kokugo ) refers to Japanese as the "national language" (taught to native speakers), while 日本語 ( nihongo ) is the Japanese language in general.

Q: Which particle must be used with preference words like 好き ( suki ) or きらい ( kirai )?

You must use the particle が ( ga ).

Q: What is the difference between 上手 ( jōzu ) and 得意 ( tokui )?

得意 ( tokui ) is used to describe your own strengths, while 上手 ( jōzu ) is used to praise others.

Japanese (1JA0) · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) · 8 min read · Updated: 27 Aug 2026

Theme 3: School — What School is Like

Welcome to your study notes for Theme 3: School! In this topic, we cover everything you need to describe your school life in Japanese: the different types of schools in Japan and the UK, what a typical school day looks like from morning assembly to after-school clubs, and all of your school subjects alongside ways to give your opinions.

Talking about school is one of the most common topics across all four GCSE exam papers (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing). Mastering this vocabulary and the grammar patterns that go with it will give you a huge confidence boost, whether you are chatting in the Speaking exam or writing an essay about your daily routine.

1. School Types (学校の種類 - Gakkō no shurui)

The Japanese school system is structured into specific stages. In Japan, compulsory education lasts for 9 years (6 years of primary and 3 years of junior high), followed by 3 years of high school and higher education.

Core Stages of Education

• Kindergarten / Nursery: 幼稚園 (yōchien) / 保育園 (hoikuen)
• Primary / Elementary School: 小学校 (shōgakkō) — 6 years (Ages 6–12)
• Junior High / Lower Secondary School: 中学校 (chūgakkō) — 3 years (Ages 12–15)
• Senior High / Upper Secondary School: 高校 (kōkō) or 高等学校 (kōtōgakkō) — 3 years (Ages 15–18)
• University / Higher Education: 大学 (daigaku)
• Junior College / Vocational College: 短期大学 (tanki daigaku) / 専門学校 (senmon gakkō)
• Cram School / After-school Tuition: 塾 (juku)

Classifying Schools

• Public / State School: 公立 (kōritsu)
• City / Municipal School: 市立 (shiritsu)
• Metropolitan School (Tokyo): 都立 (toritsu)
• Private School: 私立 (shiritsu or watakushiritsu)
• Boys' School: 男子校 (danshikō)
• Girls' School: 女子校 (joshikō)
• Mixed / Co-educational School: 共学 (kyōgaku)

Did you know? Japanese high school (高校 - kōkō) is not compulsory, but over 98% of Japanese students attend! Many students also attend 塾 (juku) in the evenings to prepare for competitive entrance examinations.

Key Takeaway: Notice how all school stages end in 校 (kō) or 学 (gaku), meaning "school" or "learning". This makes them easy to spot in reading texts!

2. The School Day & Daily Routine (学校の一日 - Gakkō no ichinichi)

A Japanese school day has a unique rhythm. Let's walk through the day in chronological order from morning to evening.

Key Daily Milestones & Vocabulary

• Going to school: 登校 (tōkō) / 学校に行く (gakkō ni iku)
• Morning meeting / Assembly: 朝礼 (chōrei) / 朝の会 (asa no kai)
• Lesson / Class: 授業 (jugyō)
• Timetable: 時間割 (jikanwari)
• Class periods: 一時間目 (ichijikanme - 1st period), 二時間目 (nijikanme - 2nd period)...
• Break time: 休み時間 (yasumi jikan)
• Lunch break: 昼休み (hiruyasumi)
• School lunch: 給食 (kyūshoku - provided school meal) / お弁当 (obentō - packed lunch box)
• Cleaning time: 掃除 (sōji) / 掃除の時間 (sōji no jikan)
• After school: 放課後 (hōkago)
• Club activities: 部活 (bukatsu) / クラブ活動 (kurabu katsudō)
• Going home: 下校 (gekō) / 帰宅 (kitaku) / 家に帰る (ie ni kaeru)

Cultural Note: In Japanese schools, there are usually no janitors for daily tidying! Instead, students take part in 掃除 (sōji) every day, sweeping classrooms and polishing hallways together before or after lunch.

Useful Grammar for Describing Your Routine

1. Time Boundaries: 〜から (from) and 〜まで (until)
Use these particles to show start and end times.
Example: 授業は九時から三時半までです。(Jugyō wa kuji kara sanjihan made desu. — Lessons are from 9:00 until 3:30.)

2. Linking Actions: The て-form (Te-form) Chain
To list daily actions in sequence, put verbs into their て-form. The final verb determines the tense of the entire sentence.
Example: 八時に学校へ行って、授業を受けて、四時に帰ります。(Hachiji ni gakkō e itte, jugyō o ukete, yoji ni kaerimasu. — I go to school at 8:00, take classes, and return home at 4:00.)

3. Sequencing: 〜前に (before) and 〜後で / 〜てから (after)
• Verb (Dictionary Form) + 前に: 授業が始まる前に、友だちと話します。(Jugyō ga hajimaru mae ni, tomodachi to hanashimasu. — Before lessons start, I talk with my friends.)
• Verb (Te-form) + から: 勉強してから、部活をします。(Benkyō shite kara, bukatsu o shimasu. — After studying, I do club activities.)

Key Takeaway: When listing actions with the て-form, remember that the tense (past or present) always comes at the very end of the sentence!

3. School Subjects (教科・科目 - Kyōka / Kamoku)

Knowing your subject names accurately is essential for both Foundation and Higher tiers.

Core Subjects Vocabulary

• Japanese Language: 国語 (kokugo - national language in Japan) / 日本語 (nihongo)
• English: 英語 (eigo)
• Foreign Languages: 外国語 (gaikokugo)
• Mathematics: 数学 (sūgaku) / 算数 (sansū - primary level maths)
• Science: 理科 (rika) / 科学 (kagaku - chemistry/science)
• Physics / Biology: 物理 (butsuri) / 生物 (seibutsu)
• Social Studies / Humanities: 社会 (shakai)
• History: 歴史 (rekishi)
• Geography: 地理 (chiri)
• Music: 音楽 (ongaku)
• Art: 美術 (bijutsu) / 図工 (zukō - arts and crafts)
• Physical Education (PE): 体育 (taiiku)
• Design & Technology (DT): 技術 (gijutsu) / 技術・家庭 (gijutsu katei)
• Home Economics: 家庭科 (kateika)
• Religious Studies (RS): 宗教 (shūkyō)
• IT / Computer Studies: 情報 (jōhō) / パソコン (pasokon)

Expressing Preferences & Abilities

1. Expressing Likes and Dislikes:
Pattern: [Subject] が好きです / 大好きです / 好きじゃないです / きらいです
Example: 私は歴史が大好きです。(Watashi wa rekishi ga daisuki desu. — I love history.)
Example: 数学はあまり好きじゃないです。(Sūgaku wa amari suki ja nai desu. — As for maths, I don't like it very much.)

2. Expressing Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pattern: [Subject] が得意です / 苦手です
Example: 英語が得意です。(Eigo ga tokui desu. — I am good at English / English is my strength.)
Example: 理科が苦手です。(Rika ga nigate desu. — I am weak at Science / Science is my weak point.)

Describing Subjects & Giving Reasons

• Interesting / Fun: おもしろい (omoshiroi)
• Boring: つまらない (tsumaranai)
• Difficult: むずかしい (muzukashii)
• Easy: やさしい (yasashii) / かんたん [な] (kantan [na])
• Useful: 役に立つ (yaku ni tatsu)

Adding Reasons with 〜から (Because):
Pattern: [Reason] から、[Subject / Opinion]
Example: 先生がやさしいから、英語が好きです。(Sensei ga yasashii kara, eigo ga suki desu. — Because the teacher is kind, I like English.)
Example: 役に立ちますから、情報はおもしろいです。(Yaku ni tachimasu kara, jōhō wa omoshiroi desu. — Because it is useful, IT is interesting.)

Key Takeaway: Always pair words of preference (好き/きらい) and ability (得意/苦手) with the particle が (ga), never を (o)!

4. Common Pitfalls & Examiner Tips

Don't worry if these grammatical details feel a bit tricky at first. Paying close attention to these examiner-reported mistakes will help you gain top marks:

Pitfall 1: Confusing が (ga) and を (o) with preferences
• Incorrect: 英語を好きです。
• Correct: 英語が好きです。
Words like 好き (suki), きらい (kirai), 得意 (tokui), and 苦手 (nigate) are adjectives in Japanese, so they describe the subject with が.

Pitfall 2: Using 上手 (jōzu) / 下手 (heta) to describe yourself
• In polite Japanese culture, saying 私は日本語が上手です sounds boastful! Use 得意 (tokui) when talking about your own strengths and 苦手 (nigate) for your weaknesses. Save 上手 (jōzu) to compliment other people.

Pitfall 3: Homophones in Listening — 私立 vs 市立
• Both 私立 (private school) and 市立 (municipal/city school) can be pronounced shiritsu. In listening exams, pay attention to the context: if the recording contrasts it with 公立 (kōritsu - public), it usually means 私立 (private). 私立 is also sometimes read as watakushiritsu to avoid confusion.

Pitfall 4: Misusing the time particle に (ni)
• Specific clock times take に (e.g. 八時半に - at 8:30).
• Relative time words like 毎日 (mainichi - every day), 今 (ima - now), and 放課後 (hōkago - after school) do not take に.

Quick Review Summary

• School Stages: 小学校 (Primary) \(\rightarrow\) 中学校 (Junior High) \(\rightarrow\) 高校 (Senior High) \(\rightarrow\) 大学 (University).
• Daily Structure: 朝礼 (Morning meeting) \(\rightarrow\) 授業 (Lessons) \(\rightarrow\) 給食 / お弁当 (Lunch) \(\rightarrow\) 掃除 (Cleaning) \(\rightarrow\) 部活 (Clubs).
• Opinion Formula: [Reason] から、[Subject] が [好き / 得意 / おもしろい] です。

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

What are the four main levels of the Japanese school system?

The four main levels are 小学校 (shōgakkō - primary), 中学校 (chūgakkō - junior high), 高校 (kōkō - senior high), and 大学 (daigaku - university).

What is a 塾 (juku) in the context of Japanese education?

A 塾 (juku) is a cram school or after-school tuition center where students study for competitive entrance exams.

How do you distinguish between private and municipal schools in Japanese?

私立 (shiritsu) means private school, while 市立 (shiritsu) means city/municipal school.

What is 掃除 (sōji) and when does it occur in a Japanese school day?

掃除 (sōji) is cleaning time, where students work together to clean their classrooms and hallways.

How do you express a time range from a start point to an end point?

Use the particles 〜から (from) and 〜まで (until).

How do you link multiple actions or verbs in a single sentence?

Use the て-form (Te-form) of the verbs to create a chain of actions.

How do you say "before" and "after" an action in Japanese?

Use [Verb Dictionary Form] + 前に (mae ni) for "before" and [Verb Te-form] + から (kara) for "after".

What is the difference between 国語 (kokugo) and 日本語 (nihongo)?

国語 (kokugo) refers to Japanese as the "national language" (taught to native speakers), while 日本語 (nihongo) is the Japanese language in general.

Which particle must be used with preference words like 好き (suki) or きらい (kirai)?

You must use the particle が (ga).

What is the difference between 上手 (jōzu) and 得意 (tokui)?

得意 (tokui) is used to describe your own strengths, while 上手 (jōzu) is used to praise others.

How do you give a reason for your opinion of a school subject?

Use the pattern: [Reason] から、[Opinion] です。

When should you not use the time particle に (ni)?

Do not use に with relative time words like 毎日 (every day), 今 (now), or 放課後 (after school).

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