A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Glossary

Japanese Terms:

benkyo: study

Burakumin: Traditional lowest caste in Japan

gakuryoku: Acquired academic ability

hoshu: Supplementary lessons offered by school teachers

ijime: Bullying/teasing

juku: Cram school

kanji: Chinese characters used in Japanese writing system

Monbusho: Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture

renshu mondai: practice problems

sensei: teacher

shukudai: assigned homework

yobiko: preparatory school for University entrance exam

yoshu: reviewing class material

German Terms:

Abitur: The school-leaving exam and certificate of the Gymnasium. Consists of four semesters of classes and four final exams that cover material from those semesters.

Berufsschule (pl. Berufsschulen): Vocational high school, generally part-time.

Gesamtschule (pl. Gesamtschulen): Comprehensive school, grades 5-11 (5-13 in some cases) which are tracked only within some subjects.

Grundschule (pl. Grundschulen): Elementary school, grades 1-4.

Gymnasium (pl. Gymnasien): Academic high school, college-track education grades 5-13.

Hauptschule (pl. Hauptschulen): Lower-track secondary school, grades 5-9 (510 in some states).

Realschule (pl. Realschulen): Middle-track secondary school, grades 5-10.

Sonderschule (pl. Sonderschulen): Special, separate schools for learning disabled, behaviorally disturbed, mentally and physically disabled children.

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