1.
the middle stage of formal schooling that sits between primary and higher education, generally corresponding to junior high school and high school; secondary education
The level of formal education between elementary school and university. In the Japanese system, 中等教育 covers 中学校 (junior high school, ages 12-15) and 高等学校 (senior high school, ages 15-18). There are also combined 中等教育学校 that run for six years and teach both stages as one program. The term is used mainly in official education policy documents, statistics, and academic writing; in everyday life people talk about 中学校 or 高校 directly.
Students start thinking about their future careers at the secondary education stage.
Composed of 中等 (middle level, intermediate) + 教育 (education). Part of a three-part set of terms that divide formal schooling by level: 初等 (primary) → 中等 (secondary) → 高等 (higher / tertiary).
Common collocations
- 中等教育を受ける: to receive secondary education
- 中等教育学校: combined secondary school (6-year junior+senior high)
- 中等教育機関: secondary education institution
- 中等教育段階: the secondary education stage
- 中等教育の課程: the secondary education curriculum
The three stages of education
- 初等教育: primary education — elementary school (小学校), grades 1-6.
- 中等教育: secondary education — junior high (中学校) + senior high (高等学校), grades 7-12.
- 高等教育: higher / tertiary education — university (大学), graduate school (大学院), junior college, etc.
Related words
- 義務教育: compulsory education — in Japan, this covers elementary school plus lower secondary (中学校), i.e. nine years total. Upper secondary (高校) is not legally compulsory but is attended by almost all students.
- 前期中等教育: lower secondary education (中学校).
- 後期中等教育: upper secondary education (高等学校).
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Formal and academic. Almost exclusively used in government documents, education policy discussions, research papers, and comparative international education statistics. In ordinary conversation, Japanese speakers simply say 中学校 and 高校.