Education in Japan & the world (Italy)

In the previous lesson, we talked about school life in Japan and watched a video about a typical day in the life of a Japanese student.

From early childhood and the first schools children attend, their path seems to be clearly defined by society and its expectations. Students grow up in an environment where school life takes up most of the day and requires great sacrifices, while also providing a certain social status.
The differences between the Japanese and Italian school systems are numerous and start from the very approach to education. In Italy, social expectations regarding school are not as strict, even though finding a good job without a university degree can be difficult (and sometimes even with one). In middle and high school, students are assigned a lot of homework (and there are almost no extra hours or the concept of cram schools), while at university the structure of lessons and exams is completely different. Classes are mostly lecture-based, with students taking notes, and for each course, the only method of assessment is usually the final exam.

Furthermore, university clubs and circles are almost entirely absent or unknown, and large universities sometimes keep students busy with additional courses and events that anyone can join if interested, regardless of their field of study.

Among Italian students, there is often the feeling that professors do not really care about improvement, and there is frequently a lack of passion for their own work, which is reflected in their own lessons (though it’s also true that, compared to Japan, classes have many more students). However, students are simply expected to study the material provided in order to pass the exam, remaining just a number and never a name to the professor. In this respect, I have found these first few months of studying in Japan refreshing.

Commenti

  1. Felicia20 ottobre 2025 alle ore 23:11

    This is a very cool insight into what it’s like to be an Italian student, I also find Japan’s university system to be nice. 👍🏾

    RispondiElimina
  2. Emilija20 ottobre 2025 alle ore 23:13

    The roasting of the Italian education system 💀 loved the honesty lol. N overall, really informative reflection!

    RispondiElimina
  3. Takumi20 ottobre 2025 alle ore 23:15

    n Japanese schools, you can still often see a traditional classroom style where all the students copy onto their notebooks what the teacher writes on the blackboard.

    This is because many dedicated teachers want to "teach every student equally and fairly."

    I found it interesting that this aspect of "valuing traditional ways" feels a bit similar to Italy. That's why I've come to want to know more about Italy.

    RispondiElimina

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