Academic grading in Japan
In Japan, each school has a different grading system. Many universities use the following set of categories:
| Grade in Japanese (Kanji) | English translation | Corresponding percentage | 4-scale university |
|---|---|---|---|
| shū (秀) | Exemplary, excellent | S (90–100%), rarely given | S (90–100%), rarely given |
| yū (優) | Very good | A (80–89%) | A (80–89%) |
| ryō (良) | Good | B (70–79%) | B (70–79%) |
| ka (可) | Average, pass | C (60–69%) | C (60–69%) |
| nin (認) | Approved, acceptable | D (50–59%), uncommon | D (50–59%), uncommon |
| fuka (不可) | Unacceptable, failed | F (0–59% or 0–49%) | F (0–59% or 0–49%) |
| Academic grading |
|---|
| Africa |
| North America |
| South America |
| Asia |
| Europe |
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| Oceania |
Education in Japan has many different ways of approaching their grading system.
Public schooling below the high school level is classified as compulsory education (義務教育, gimu-kyōiku), and every Japanese child is required to attend school until they pass middle school. An interesting phenomenon is that even if an individual student fails a course, they may pass with their class regardless of grades on tests. The grades on tests have no effect on schooling until taking entrance exams to get into high school.
The motivation behind Japanese children's report card is not the grade, but their behavior "because the report card in modern Japan shows and evaluates more children's attitudes in their school life than their academic grades (Gordenker, 2001; Murata & Yamaguchi, 2010)." For example, Japanese students are graded how they greet each other in the morning, if they remember their supplies, and how they treat plants and animals.