Study in Asian Countries
The Asian region has had nations which are enthusiastic in education since ancient times. The system of the imperial civil-service examinations in China was epoch-making system positively appointing talents to the public service being the first in the world. Now the meaning which the educations in Asian region have is changing including these historical backgrounds. A lot of countries such as Southeast Asia heighten their enthusiasm for education day by day along the countries' economic development. Also, in the countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Singapore socially important meaning of one's background causes the heated educational phenomenon called the exam war. So forth, a lot of excellent talents are born from Asian countries.
But it is the fact that there is another side of the Asian education status quo. There are countries with education not spreading through the farm villages. There are countries with big educational difference because of a gap such as between urban and rural regions and rich and poor. Also excessive elite education broadens this gap.
INDIA
The education in India is strongly influenced by the state of political and economical affairs at the time. For example, in the second five year plan (1956-60) when heavy industries became the basic industries, the socialistic education was given and was put emphasis on conversion of basic education and secondary and higher educations. Also, when India saw the economic crisis and the school attendance rate fell in 1960's a big reconsideration on the whole education was done establishing the advisory committee including foreigners.
Today the system which was decided by the international conference party is revolved. It has 10-2-3 system and in some states it has 5-3-2 system or 4-3-3 system. The electuary education is divided into the first term and the latter term, and the diffusion of the first term is 83.7% and the latter 41.9%. The tuition fees of public school are free. The special curriculum for farm villages and minority races take effect and the hygiene and nourishment project is propelled. The secondary education is divided to the first term and the latter term, and the first term is for studying the extension of elementary education and the latter term is divided into the college entering course and vocational education course to study. It is the characteristic that scientific education and talent education are done. The rate of the students to enter the first term is 24.6%. For the higher education, 137 higher educational systems aim at the improvement of the qualities of education and research in scientific technology.
JAPAN
Today the generally called educational system is 6-3-3-4 system which has 6 years in elementary school, three years in middle school, three years in high school, and 4 years in university. This system was inaugurated by the school education law which was promulgating enacted in March 1947. By this, compared to the past system in which in higher school than middle school male and female go to different places, the idea of coeducation was born.
Basically, there are children who go to kindergarten or nourishment school before going to elementary school. Elementary school and middle school are commonly known by the compulsory education because of the meaning of "parents ought to give their children education." People graduate from this and advance to their own way. They go to university, go to junior college, go to special school, or find job. The rate of people who go to university is 31% as setting electuary school 100. In university, up to the present, there are liberal arts for freshman and sophomore years in national universities and other universities but recently it tends to be abolished. In brief, the specialization is going on. Also, after graduation they find jobs.
Owing to this educational system, the literacy rate in Japan became 100% and Japan had sudden economic growth. Today
KOREA
Educational system of Korea consists of 6-year elementary school, 3-year junior high school, 3-year high school, and 4-year College. This is because various American educational assistance programs had permeated through Korea after the World War II. By the way, elementary schools were called People's school until recently. However, now, in 1996, they are called elementary school since the name had some problems.
The fever of entering schools transferred from junior high to high schools therefore, the Government adopted a reform plan on high schools, and then the situation was improved. But still, there were some students who 'studied away' in 'prestigious schools' in some rural cities, since the policy wasn't permeated enough.
Since that is the case, it was natural that entering good universities became important. Extra-curricular lessons, tutors, crammers etc. made the situation more serious. Current circumstances on entering schools are as the following.
Exam for entering universities is the only entrance exam. A day of a Korean high school student preparing for the test is like this. Getting up at 6:00, arriving at school by 8:00, taking a make-up lectures till 9:00, regular classes till 16:00, other supplementary lessons till 18:00, taking supper and then studying by themselves till 22:00. There are quite a few students who go to crammers and libraries after dinner.
In college, after 2nd and 3rd year, there are a lot of male students who join the army, and an age difference among students in campus become large. Needless to say, it is reflecting educational situation in Korea. We hope that young energy will aim at something else than military affairs.
MALAYSIA
After the independence in Malaysia, educational system was formulated, and now the school attendance rate has reached up to 100%. In different provinces, educational system is different, but in Kuala Lumpur, students attend elementary school for 6 years, junior high school for 2 years, senior high school for 2 years, college preparatory school for 2 years, and go to advanced educational institutions such as universities and special schools to follow. Periods could be somewhat different, but most of the provinces have a system similar to above. Since Malaysia is a multi-racial country, teaching is done in Malay, Chinese and Tamir in elementary schools.
In high schools and prep schools, students take a common achievement test, and get different scholastic certificates according to their results. Thus, students are qualified to go on the next stage of education. In other words, the result of the common achievement test decides which university they enter. (In Malaysia, universities are national with no exception.) The ratio of students who go on to university is up to 30%. There are universities such as "Malaya" and "National" in Malaysia. Besides entering university, successful applicants can go on to special schools such as training school for teachers.
INDONESIA
There are two characteristics in this educational system. One is the time starting the compulsory education. The Indonesian constitution said "All children, when they come of age of six, have the right to get the compulsory education at least for six years and when they come of age of eight ought to get the compulsory education at least for six years".
In brief, it is fine to entering school between the age of six and eight in Indonesia. So class is not necessarily composed of children at the same age.
Also it is the characteristic that there is the Islamic school by the Department of Religion besides the elementary school by the Department of Education and Culture in the elementary education system. This is likely found in Indonesia in which nearly 90% of the people are Islam. Then there are students who go to elementary school in the morning and other in the afternoon.
We shall not forget that besides such double-school children exist, in especially farm villages, there are children who cannot get the compulsory education because of poverty or their parents’ lack of understanding to the education.
Islam is not a border of Indonesia or it is not the fact that only Islam is treated favorably. Other religions are also esteemed. In Indonesia the secondary education has middle school and high school with three years each.
By getting graduation certificate of elementary school and making admission examination students can enter to middle school. Besides regular middle school there is vocational middle school, and among the latter there are technology middle school and domestic middle school. But the vocational middle school has low popularity, so comparing the number of students; regular middle school has overwhelmingly more students at the rate of 98:2.
Among the high school, there are also regular high school and vocational high school but compared to vocational middle school, vocational high school has more choices including economics high school and teacher training school and so forth besides technology high school and domestic high school. At this time the ratio of regular high school to vocational high school is 2:1.
The system to enter university is similar to high schools and middle schools, and the bachelor’s course has four years and master’s course has two years. In Indonesia the rate of entering university is low as about 3%.
PHILIPPINE
The fundamental framework of the Philippine education is 6-4-4. Among those only elementary education is compulsory education. Right after the war, taking shape of the nationalism and pointing to the community are found in the elementary education. But in 1970's because of the regular man power training project learning of basic skills, bilingual policy (English and Filipino) and so forth were carried out in the elementary education. To prevent leaving school without completing the course, the effort to heighten the rate of distribution of text books (a book per five students in the status quo) is made. For the secondary education, one time the vocational education was put emphasis on it, but on the whole the general education is considered as important. But the conflict is found between the national man power training policy and the people's pointing to go on to the next stage of education. The rate of students who take higher education comparing to the whole population is high as the second in the world. "Humanities, Business, Management" concentrate popularity and "agriculture" and so forth are tend to reduce, but through the "National College Entering Exam (NCEE)" beginning in 1973, the number of students of engineering and agriculture expands though humanities and social studies tend to reduce.
SINGAPORE
Singapore is one of the most enthusiastic countries about education in Asia. Government is eager for the further improvement.
In Singapore, students have to pass a tough exam in order to complete each course of 6-4-2 system. It is the result of the achievement test they take before graduation that is important when students go on to the next stage of education. Therefore, enthusiasm for education is going on increasing. Especially, competition to enter university is awfully tough. This is because entering a university is also an entrance for a life as an elite. In Singapore, there are only two universities; Singapore Univ. (national) and the South Seas Technical College, and therefore, the score of the final exam means a lot to one's life.
Education in Singapore is strictly competitive as above, but also its language education is remarkable. As a multi-racial nation, students are taught to be able to speak two or more languages such as English, Chinese, Malay and so on.
THAILAND
From 1978, a reform of educational system was carried out. The old system consisted of elementary education(junior:4 years/senior:3 years), secondary education(jun:3/sen:2), and higher education(University, training school for teachers, vocational school, military/police school) was renewed into 6-3-3 system which is basically the same as Japan.
The school attendance rate is more than 90% in elementary school, but in secondary education, the rate goes down to a little over 40% at the first half of secondary education, and a little over 20% at the 2nd half. The Government has started extending compulsory education into 9 years (including 1st half of secondary education), and making efforts to popularize secondary education. Therefore, the rate will presumably rise in the future. The Government is also hurrying the expansion of technical and vocational education set in the stage of the 2nd half of secondary education.
There are 20 national universities and 26 private university, across the nation, and the total number of students are about 680,000(1991). Educational administration in Thailand is divided into the Ministry of Education and the Agency of University. While M.E. is engaged in issues of elementary and secondary education (including private school) such as curriculum, A.U. controls all the national and private universities.
There are 2 sessions a year in Schools in Thailand. From elementary school to high school, the 1st semester starts late in May and ends in the middle of October, and the 2nd semester starts in November and ends at the end of March. In college, class begins early in June. Summer vacation starts late in March till May.
Universities in Thailand are rather exclusive against foreigners so far. There are some Japanese students but few. However, a tendency to welcome Japanese students is seen in some prestige universities in recent years.
Lately, many people are interested in studying Japanese. Japanese course is established in many universities such as Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Kasetsart University, and the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
Top 10 universities of Asia
University Rank
1. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
3. National University of Singapore, Singapore
4. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
5. The University of Tokyo, Japan
6. Seoul National University, South Korea
7. Osaka University, Japan
8. Kyoto University, Japan
9. Tohoku University, Japan
10. Nagoya University, Japan