Secondary education in Japan

Secondary education in Japan is split into junior high schools and senior high schools. The minimum number of school days in a year is 210 in Japan, compared to 180 in the United States. The curriculum covers Japanese language, English, social studies, mathematics, science, music, fine arts, industrial arts, homemaking, health, and physical education. It is possible to leave the formal education system after completing lower secondary school and find employment, but fewer than 4% did so by the late 1980s. Students go to different classrooms for physical education, physical education laboratory classes, or other specialized courses, otherwise, teachers change classrooms for the entire day. Students typically attend between ten and fourteen courses a year, but some schools do not have lunches of this type. Students are expected to have mastered daily routines and acceptable behavior by the end of the school year. Students participate in after-school clubs, such as baseball, especially popular among boys, while wind bands are one of the most popular clubs for girls. Students in the highest grades of elementary, junior high, andSenior high schools also take trips lasting up to several days to culturally important cities.