There is a small moat on the Ueda High School grounds. At one time it was part of a mansion belonging to a hanshu, lord over a fief. Part of the school gate dates back to the Edo period.
Ueda High School is the most prestigous high schools in the district. Junior high students take an entrance exam to be accepted. It has a student body of 1,097 students who come from a population of 203,935. Sixty teachers make up the staff, three are female.
The government pays for a child's education up through the ninth grade. Then the cost is the responsibility of the parents. Ueda High School is a public school. It costs three times as much to send a child to a private high school.
Courses taught at the high school level include; Japanese language, World History, Japanese History, ethics, political science and economics, math, chemistry, biology, calligraphy, health, physical education, music, English, and home economics. Tenth and eleventh grade students must take one of three art courses. They may choose among art, calligraphy, and music. Art is an elective for twelfth graders.
We were anxious to meet the teachers at Ueda High. Weeks before our departure from the U.S. we received email from a teacher at the high school welcoming us.
We spent the morning moving from one class to another. Most of the classes we observed were lectures. There didn't seem to be as much emphasis on "hands on learning" as was the case in the classes we observed in the the elementary and junior high schools.
There were forty students in the physics class; only four were female. We were told that the reason there are not many female teachers at the high school level is because girls tend to stay away from math and science classes. However, we were told this is beginning to change.
There was no computer lab at the high school. When we asked why, we learned there aren't enough computer teachers who can teach at the high school level. Also, there is not enough time to teach computers, because so much time is spent on preparing the students for the college entrance exams.
Common Cafeteria Food for Japanese Students
Chuka don (Rice with a vegetable sauce) Curry over Pork Cutlet and rice Curry and rice Hiyashi Chuka soba (cold Chinese noodles)
After we visited the classrooms, we were escorted to the cafeteria. Like the students, everyone in my group looked forward to lunch. It gave us the opportunity to talk with the students. Ueda High School does an excellent job of teaching the students English! We were to learn that the children are bright and personable. They represent the top 10% of the junior high school students.
Approximately 100% of the students seek further education. In the 1996-1997 academic year, about 55% of the graduates went directly to four-year colleges, 5% went to two-year colleges or voational colleges, 1% got jobs, and the rest studied to take the entrance exams again.
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pictures of Ueda High School