Elementary School: Public or Private? Thinking About It Before School Age
Why this topic is on your mind
When your child enters nenchū, the people around you suddenly start to buzz. “We’ve started sending our child to ○○ cram school.” “We went to the information session at △△ Elementary School.” Hearing things like this, many people probably stop and wonder what their own family should do.
- Is public elementary school fine, or should we have our child take the entrance exams for a private school?
- Will putting my child in a private school make them better at studying?
- I’m worried that exams will put stress on my child
- Wouldn’t it be better to use the time and money for exam cram school on something else?
- With those around us taking exams, it’s hard to choose “going to public school” with confidence
This is a worry that almost every family with children in nenchū and nenchō goes through. It is also a topic where, despite the amount of information, it is hard to see “what to decide by”. Here, we set out institutional facts and what education research says, and offer material for your family to decide.
First, sort out the system: public, private, national, three options
Before getting into the research, let’s sort out Japan’s elementary school system. Knowing the differences between them makes the discussion easier to follow.
Public elementary schools
Public
Founder: municipality (ward/city/town/village) / Share of children: about 98% / Admission: designated school by school district (in principle determined by your address) / Annual learning expenses: about ¥336,000 (of which school education costs are about ¥66,000; including school lunch fees and out-of-school activity costs) / Curriculum: follows MEXT's 'National Curriculum Guidelines for Elementary Schools' / Commuting distance: in most cases within walking distance
Private elementary schools
Private
Founder: educational corporation / Share of children: about 1.3% / Admission: each school's selection (paper test, behavioral observation, interview, etc.) / Annual learning expenses: about ¥1,828,000 (of which tuition is about ¥536,000; including out-of-school activity costs) / Curriculum: follows the National Curriculum Guidelines while adding each school's own features (religious education, integrated education, international education, etc.) / Commuting distance: children commute from a wide area (commuting by train is common)
Elementary schools attached to national universities
National
Founder: national university corporation / Share of children: about 0.6% / Admission: selection (often a combination of lottery and assessment) / Annual learning expenses: close to public-school level (no tuition fees), but tending to be higher than public schools once out-of-school activity costs, commuting costs, etc. are included / Curriculum: advanced practice as a designated school for educational research, hosting teaching practicums / Commuting distance: there are often restrictions on the commuting area
There is one fact that is reassuring to keep in mind here. The School Education Act requires that in Japan public, private, and national elementary schools all organize their curricula in accordance with MEXT’s “National Curriculum Guidelines for Elementary Schools”. The FY2024 School Basic Survey (final figures) states that there are about 5.94 million elementary school children in Japan, of whom about 80,000 attend private elementary schools (about 1.3% of the total) and about 36,000 attend national elementary schools (about 0.6%). In other words, the current picture in Japan is that the great majority of children attend public elementary schools, and receive education based on nationwide common curriculum guidelines.
Private elementary schools often have, in addition, each school’s own features (religious education, internal progression systems to affiliated schools, foreign language education, small classes, etc.). Some schools have affiliated junior high schools, high schools, and universities, and children can progress internally (the so-called “escalator”).
How big is the difference in cost?
The “FY2023 Survey of Children’s Learning Expenses” is a public statistic that totals, separately for public and private schools, the amount families spent on their children’s learning over a year. For elementary schools, it gives the following figures.
- Public elementary school: about ¥336,000 a year (of which school education costs about ¥66,000, school lunch fees about ¥40,000, out-of-school activity costs about ¥230,000)
- Private elementary school: about ¥1,828,000 a year (of which school education costs about ¥961,000, school lunch fees about ¥53,000, out-of-school activity costs about ¥814,000)
- Six-year total: public about ¥2,017,000, private about ¥10,974,000, a difference of about ¥8,957,000
What we want to note here is that the high cost of private schools is not only tuition. Out-of-school activity costs (cram schools, extracurricular activities, etc.) also tend to be larger for families at private elementary schools. Including exams and commuting, the figures in public statistics also show that the choice of “sending your child to a private elementary school” comes with a considerable long-term commitment for the household budget.
What does the research say?
This is the heart of this article. “Will putting my child in a private school make them better at studying?” “Is public school all right?” In education research, fairly settled answers to these questions have emerged.
Question 1: How much does the difference between schools determine children’s academic achievement?
One of the most widely referred-to meta-analyses of learning effects in the world is John Hattie’s ‘Visible Learning’.
A book compiling an effect-size ranking of educational interventions that integrates more than 800 meta-analyses (about 300 million participants)
organizes the factors affecting children’s learning outcomes into six domains, “the child”, “the home”, “the school”, “the teacher”, “the curriculum”, and “teaching approaches”, and compares the influence of each.
What Hattie himself repeatedly emphasizes is the following.
- What explains the largest share of differences in children’s academic achievement is “the child’s own characteristics (individuality, interests, approach)” and “the quality of teachers and teaching”
- Differences at the level of “the school” have some effect, but it is relatively small compared with “the child” and “the teacher”
- Family involvement (parental involvement) has a moderate positive effect size of d≈0.51, which is larger than the difference between types of school
In other words, as a major finding of education research, the current rough summary is that “which teacher teaches the child and how”, “how the family can be involved”, and “how the child approaches learning” affect academic achievement far more than “which school the child attends”.
Question 2: Is there a difference in children’s academic achievement between private and public schools?
“But isn’t there data showing that children who actually attend private schools have higher academic achievement?” It is true that, on average, children at private elementary schools tend to score higher on achievement tests. However, reading this as “they attended a private elementary school, so their academic achievement became higher” is premature in research terms.
What matters here is a worldwide meta-analysis of the relationship between family socioeconomic background (SES: Socioeconomic Status) and academic achievement.
A meta-analysis integrating 74 studies (101,157 participants in total) published from 1990 to 2000 on the relationship between family socioeconomic background (parents’ income, education, and occupation) and children’s academic performance (Review of Educational Research)
showed that there is a moderate to strong positive correlation between the two (mean correlation coefficient r=0.299).
What this means is as follows.
- Children from families with higher income and education tend, on average, to score higher on achievement tests
- Families whose children attend private elementary schools have, on average, relatively high household income and strong interest in education
- Therefore, it is highly likely that “children at private schools score higher on average” largely reflects the effect of family background, rather than the effect of the private type of school
The education economist ‘The Economics of Academic Ability’ (Discover 21) also sets out for Japanese readers this “correlation between family background and academic achievement” and “the importance of looking at school effects and family effects separately”. The book presents a view close to the consensus in education economics worldwide: “as a factor explaining differences in children’s academic achievement, the family environment carries more weight than the school”.
Question 3: Then is choosing a school meaningless?
Hearing that “the influence of the type of school is relatively small”, you may feel “so does it not matter where?” What the research says is a little more nuanced.
- “Average” differences between schools are smaller than differences between families
- However, “the quality of education” at an individual school, teacher, or class can make a big difference for a child
- And “fit or no fit” for the child (school character, commuting distance, friendships, fit with teachers) is hard to see in numbers but is large as daily experience
In other words, what the research says is not “choosing a school is meaningless” but “discussing it in the broad category of school type matters less than people think. Rather, the specific quality of education at that school and its fit with your child matter more”. This can be thought about from the same perspective whether you choose a public or a private school.
The figures illustrate relative relationships drawn from several summaries, such as Hattie's 'Visible Learning', the Sirin (2005) meta-analysis, and Nakamuro Makiko's 'The Economics of Academic Ability' (they are not strict coefficients from a single regression). The rough consensus of modern education research is that 'the child' and 'family involvement' carry great weight, while differences discussed in the category of 'school type' are relatively small.
Source: Summarized by the editorial team from Hattie (2009) Visible Learning, Sirin (2005) Review of Educational Research, and Nakamuro Makiko (2015) 'The Economics of Academic Ability'
More families around us are taking elementary school entrance exams, and I’m starting to feel anxious that we’ll fall behind if we don’t. I wonder whether putting my child in a private school will raise academic ability in the end…
It’s that time when people feel that way. But as far as education research around the world goes, it hasn’t simply concluded that “attending a private school raises academic ability”. What a large meta-analysis called Sirin (2005) showed was that what correlates most strongly with children’s academic achievement is the family’s socioeconomic background and parental involvement, and that the effect of the type of school itself is smaller than that.
But there is data showing that children at private schools get better grades, isn’t there?
There is. But it’s too early to read it as “they went to a private school, so their grades got better”. Families at private schools tend on average to have higher income and interest in education, so even if those children had gone to public school, their grades might well have come out high. This is called “selection bias”, and education research is careful to look at it separately.
Then is there any point in choosing a private school at all?
It’s not that there’s no point. Private elementary schools offer things like religious education, small classes, distinctive curricula, and internal progression to affiliated schools, and if there’s an environment that matches the values and educational policy your family wants to prioritize, that has great meaning. But if “raising academic ability” is the main purpose, the research support isn’t as strong as people think.
With those around us taking exams, it’s also hard that choosing a public school feels like a “compromise”.
I understand that feeling well. But looking at the numbers, about 98% of elementary school children in Japan attend public elementary schools. It’s by no means a minority choice; rather, for the great majority of families, it works without any problem, and the children grow up fine. Worrying about “public or private” is natural in itself, but I think it’s a topic where you can take a little distance from the framework of “choosing public = compromise”.
About the process of entrance exams
Another thing we want to face in the discussion of choosing a school is “elementary school entrance exams themselves”.
Elementary school entrance exams are a system that selects 5- to 6-year-old children through paper tests, behavioral observation, interviews, physical activity, and so on. From nenchū to nenchō, many families send their children to exam cram schools and also prepare for long hours at home.
There is no established research finding here, but clinicians and people in education on the ground have pointed out aspects such as these.
- Long hours of exam preparation in early childhood can be a physical and mental burden for children (stress signs such as tics, night crying, nail-biting, and loss of appetite are sometimes seen)
- Parents’ anxiety and tension are sensitively picked up by children (changes in the atmosphere at home)
- Because passing or failing is a clear-cut result, it may affect children’s self-esteem
These are not things that “will definitely happen”; they vary greatly depending on how the family is involved. On the other hand, they are facts worth knowing both for families who choose exams and for those who don’t.
There is no need to decide “absolutely not” or “absolutely yes” to exams. The most important part, in research and in practice, is to keep enough distance that you can regularly stop and check “whether it is too much for our child, looking at how they are now” and “whether we parents can stay calm”.
What to do if you actually go ahead
Based on the research and the institutional picture, here are points for your family to consider.
1. Be conscious of “family involvement” more than “school type”
What education research around the world has shown most repeatedly is that family involvement strongly predicts children’s academic achievement and development. This is the same whether you choose a public or a private school.
- Have time to listen properly to your child
- Read picture books together, look at homework, show interest in what happens
- Keep a state in which the message that parents are “involved” in the child’s education reaches the child
Whatever school your child attends, these are foundations that can only be built at home.
2. Think about “choosing a school” in terms of your family’s situation and your child’s individuality
Rather than thinking in general terms about “which is educationally superior”, perspectives like these are realistic.
- Balance with the household budget: is a difference of about ¥9,000,000 over six years manageable as part of the family’s long-term plan?
- Commuting distance and time: does a morning train commute suit your child, and do you want to value local friendships?
- Your child’s temperament: does your child like a large, lively environment, or suit a small, calm one?
- Values your family wants to prioritize: do you seek particular features such as religious education, international education, or traditional culture?
- Internal progression to affiliated schools: if you want to avoid junior high and high school entrance exams, an integrated private school has meaning
- Siblings’ situations: will you put them in the same school environment as an older child, or choose different options?
These are all “family circumstances”. It is reasonable to think that there are as many right answers as there are families.
3. If you choose exams, put your child’s condition at the center
For families taking exams for private or national schools, there are some points that are reassuring to keep in mind.
- Proceed with exam preparation based on “how the child is doing”, not “the parents’ convenience”
- Regularly check that health, sleep, and playtime are properly secured
- Prepare words that do not tie the result of passing or failing to the child’s self-esteem
- Make sure, in a way that comes across, that parents themselves “love the child whatever the result”
Exams are not the goal but the entrance to a long period of learning. Pushing so hard that the exam itself damages the parent-child relationship is an area to avoid, in research and clinical terms as well.
4. Choose public school “with confidence”
“Not choosing a private school” is not a passive choice. About 98% of elementary school children in Japan attend public elementary schools, and many children grow up from there. For families who choose public schools, research gives encouragement such as the following.
- In research terms, the “difference in academic achievement” by type of school is not as large as people think
- Family involvement and the child’s own characteristics predict academic achievement far more strongly
- A short commute makes it easier to secure time after school for extracurricular activities, play, and family
- Relationships with the local community can be built naturally
To the anxiety of “will public school be all right?”, research answers “if the family is involved, it is no problem at all for most children”.
5. Keep in view the option of “changing along the way”
The first choice does not decide everything.
- Enter a public elementary school, and later choose a private junior high school through junior high school entrance exams
- Enter a private elementary school, and transfer to a public junior high school if it doesn’t suit your child
- From a national elementary school, choose a different path through internal progression or high school entrance exams
There is no need to think “what we decided at age 6 is fixed for 12 years”. Educational choices can be adjusted to fit the child’s growth and the family’s situation.
Closing dialogue
Listening to you, I’ve started to think that the way I framed the question, “public or private”, may have been a little off.
It isn’t off at all. Many families face the same question. But in light of the research, if you try shifting the axis away from “which type of school” toward “whether it’s manageable for our family’s situation”, “whether it suits our child’s temperament”, and “whether we can secure time to be involved at home”, the options often become a little easier to see.
With those around us taking exams, I’d been feeling pressured that “we have to as well”, but not everyone is actually taking them, are they?
That’s right. MEXT’s School Basic Survey also shows that about 98% of elementary school children in Japan attend public elementary schools. Exams are one option, and families who don’t choose them are the overwhelming majority. It isn’t that they end up at any disadvantage; rather, it’s known that family involvement, the relationship with teachers, and the child’s own efforts predict development far more strongly.
Then what meaning is there in choosing a private school?
There certainly is meaning. For example, when you want to pass on particular religious or cultural values to your child, when you want a small, attentive environment, when you want to avoid junior high school entrance exams and spend time at a relaxed pace, when you want your child to go on to affiliated junior high and high schools and a university. These are less a matter of research showing “effective or not” and more the very educational views your family wants to prioritize. If there’s a private school that matches them, there’s good reason to choose it.
I’m still wavering between taking the exams or not…
It’s fine to waver. Now, in nenchū or nenchō, there’s no need to make a final decision either way. If you keep reviewing it every six months or every season, while watching how your child is and talking as a family, that’s fine. What matters, whichever you choose, is that your child can spend each day now happily and freely.
Somehow I feel a little more relaxed.
Please hold on to that feeling. In the long run, “a state where you can watch your child, talk as a family, and adjust” works far better for your child’s development than “getting the best choice right in one go”. Families who choose public schools and families who choose private schools can both, in research terms, arrive at the “right answer”. Please choose with confidence based on your family’s situation and your child’s individuality.
Research details
Primary sourcesStudy design: A meta-analysis integrating 74 independent-sample studies published from 1990 to 2000 on the relationship between family socioeconomic background (SES) and academic performance
Participants: A total of 101,157 pupils and students, including 6,871 schools and 128 school districts
Main results: • A moderate to strong positive correlation (mean correlation coefficient r=0.299) was found between family socioeconomic background and children’s academic performance • The size of the effect varies with how SES is measured (parents’ income, education, occupation), how performance is measured, and the unit of analysis (individual vs. school) • Family background is one of the strongest factors explaining differences in children’s academic achievement, and is consistently larger than the effect of school type
Limitations: A meta-analysis centered mainly on US studies. The relationship between SES and academic achievement is a correlation, not causation (SES does not directly “create” academic achievement but has influence through several related pathways).
Study design: A mega-analysis integrating more than 800 meta-analyses on the effects of educational interventions
Participants: Includes about 300 million learners worldwide (expanded in later updates to more than 2,100 meta-analyses and about 400 million)
Main results: • Of the six domains affecting children’s academic achievement (the child, the home, the school, the teacher, the curriculum, teaching approaches), the influence of “the teacher” and “the child” is consistently large • The effect size of family involvement (parental involvement) is d≈0.51, a moderate positive effect • Effects at the level of “the school” exist to some extent but are relatively small compared with teachers, children, and families
Limitations: There is debate about interpreting effect sizes (the 0.40 benchmark should not be treated as absolute). Also, as Hattie himself points out, “factors hard to change at school”, such as poverty, family resources, health, and nutrition, are treated as outside the scope of the book, and their influence may in reality be large.
Official document / public statistics: A nationwide survey of what families spend on children’s learning, conducted by MEXT roughly every two years (published December 2024)
Content: • Total learning expenses over six years of elementary school (annual average × 6 years): public about ¥2,017,000, private about ¥10,974,000, a difference of about ¥8,957,000 • Total annual learning expenses: public about ¥336,000, private about ¥1,828,000 (5.4 times) • The large parts of the cost difference at private elementary schools are “tuition (about ¥3,210,000 worth)” and “out-of-school activity costs (cram school fees, etc.)”
Significance: The latest official national statistics on learning expenses at public and private schools. One of the most reliable sources for thinking about a family’s long-term household financial plan.
Official document / public statistics: A core statistical survey of schools, pupils and students, and teaching staff nationwide, conducted by MEXT every year as of May 1 (final figures published December 18, 2024)
Content: • Total elementary school pupils: about 5.94 million (down about 108,000 from the previous year, a new record low) • Pupils at private elementary schools: about 80,000 (about 1.3% of the total) • Pupils at national elementary schools: about 36,000 (about 0.6% of the total) • The remaining roughly 98% attend public elementary schools
Significance: The most basic public statistics for understanding the realities of elementary school choice in Japan. Supports the fact that “families choosing private elementary schools are a minority”.
Content: A book setting out findings from education economics for general readers. Explains themes such as “the correlation between family socioeconomic background and academic achievement”, “the importance of distinguishing school effects from family effects”, and “evidence-based education policy”, citing research from abroad
Significance: A representative book that plainly introduces “evidence-based thinking about education” in Japanese. Referred to in this article as a reference for Japanese readers on the relationship between SES and academic achievement and the point that family effects are larger than school effects.
Limitations: Because it is a general-audience book, the original research needs to be checked separately (in this article, Sirin 2005 and Hattie 2009 were also checked). Also, findings in education economics are aggregate-level analyses mainly for policy discussion and do not fully determine an individual family’s choice.