January 24, 2007
Seiritsu's Entrance Exam Week
They arrived looking nervous and a little sleepy. As they entered the school yard, they quietly offered a polite bow towards all the teachers lined up outside. Each listened closely as a teacher told them which classroom they were to enter. And with that, the school’s entrance exams for junior high school students wanting to enter Seiritsu began.
These annual entrance exams were held Monday and Tuesday, January 22 and 23 this week. Third year junior high school students who had previously been to the school for consultations with teachers as to which program they should apply for, were back for the required math, English and science level check exams. Afterwards, many students had interviews with teachers in the departments they wish to enter.
At the main gate, Richard Sensei & Saijo Sensei offer their fighting spirit for support while Kakiya Sensei displays his sweeter side.
Everywhere in Japan this month, junior high school students take entrance exams at one to several high schools they would like to enter. When high school students are in their last year, they will take university entrance exams, which are famous even abroad for being extremely difficult at the top universities. Upon graduation from university, most graduates are required to take entrance tests to the company they would like to enter as well. The whole process may have started with level check entrance tests for elementary school for some students.
Junior high school students concetrating hard on their entrance exam in the school's main hall.
After two days, around 1000 junior high school students took our entrance tests. Several after-school private study tutors even met their charges early at the gate to give them a small present of candy or food for energy, plus a pat on the back for support. A few parents also walked them to gate, several being the typical ‘salaryman’, each who looked a little concerned to make sure their child was alright while I suspect also being in an extra rush from not having taken the normal train route to work.
And when all was said and done at around in the early afternoon, a local grandmother who works as a crossing guard for the elementary school down the street called out to each student as they left to go home, ‘Gokaku yo, gokaku!’, meaning ‘You’ll pass, you’ll pass!’
RM