SCHOOL SYSTEM

In Japan, the school year begins in April and ends in March of the following year. The school system is split into five systems:
1.Kindergarten/ Nursery School from ages 0 to 6 years
2.Elementary School from ages 6 to 12 years
3.Junior High School from 12 to 15 years
4.High school from ages 15 to 18 years (noncompulsory)
5.University/College which depends on the students` choices.

In Jamaica, the school year begins in September and ends in August of the following year (the summer period completes the school year typically). The school system is split into four systems.
1.Basic/Infant School from ages 3 to 5 years
2.Primary School from ages 6 to 12 years
3.High School from ages 12 to 17 years.
4.University/College which depends on students` choices.
There are also differences within these systems. For example, school uniform is not compulsory up to elementary school in Japan, while it is, once a child enters the school system in Jamaica. It is not required to remove one`s shoes prior to entering school in Jamaica like Japan, a Janitor and security guard is not a necessity in Japan as in Jamaica, and there isn`t a cafeteria-feeding-students’ system In Japan as in Jamaica. For extended reading on Jamaican and Japanese School systems, please click here and here.