Dokkyo Saitama High School

Dokkyo Saitama Junior & Senior High School is a private co-ed school. It consists of junior and senior high school students. The high school is in Koshigaya City, Saitama, Japan. Dokkyo Saitama High School was founded in 1982. About half of the students enter at the beginning of junior high school and the other half enter at the beginning of senior high school. Their classes are separate at the freshmen and junior grades. Then, students study in the same class during their senior year. About 15% of students that graduate from Dokkyo Saitama High School enter Dokkyo University to complete their education. Dokkyo has been a popular top private school in Saitama due to their small class sizes, more individual teaching and their international exchange program with other schools around the world.

History

In 1881, the Doitsu Gaku Kyokai (German Education Association) was established for people to study German culture and sciences to help with Japan's modernization into a developed country. In association, the Doitsu Gaku Kyokai Gakko (German Education Association School) was founded in 1883. It was the first junior high school in Japan to teach German.

In 1947, after World War II, the Doitsu Gaku Kyokai was renamed Dokkyo Gakuen(Dokkyo Educational Institution) and both Dokkyo junior and senior high schools were established in Mejiro in Tokyo.

In 1980, Dokkyo Saitama High School was established in Koshigaya City inSaitama, and in 2000 Dokkyo Saitama Junior High School was also established at the same campus. At that time, more than 4,200 students took the entrance exam.

In 2005, Dokkyo Saitama High School celebrated their 25th anniversary.

Mission Statement

Dokkyo Saitama High School mission statement is Reclamation, Creation, Love and Faith.

Curriculum

Dokkyo Saitama Junior & Senior High School has a long tradition of providing educating to students that helps develop character using physical, moral and intellectual training. The school’s curriculum is made up of three basic goals to teach and encourage students to:

• Bring out each student’s academic capabilities by being attentive and enthusiastic in class while utilizing both English and mathematics. These lessons are taught in small classes according to the individual students’ ability.

• Allow each student to express, judge and think for themselves in the best way possible in all matters of school life and in class. An example of this would be through field trips, experiments, group and individual projects. The students are encouraged to work on their own with the individual projects and work together with group projects and experiments.

• Encourage each student to take part and volunteer in extra-curricular activities for a feeling of self achievement. For example, volunteering for the Ameisai mentioned below where the students have a chance to participate and share this tradition with the community. Also, the upper class are encouraged to help out the under class when help is needed and can be given.

Because of the popular curriculum, high expectations and teaching styles of Dokkyo Saitama Junior & High School, getting into the High School can be difficult for the average student. The negative side to this is that after graduating from Dokkyo Saitama Junior & Senior High School it is difficult to get accepted into the top Japan colleges.

The School Tradition

The traditional event that takes place every year is the Ameisai (school festival), the athletic meet, where the student of the executive committee plays a key role and administration is accomplished. In Ameisai, a bell is rung in the early morning festival to be carried out after opening it to the public of the second day (general secrecy) and is carried out grandly. The athletic meet is the large part of the event where each student’s creativity and student participation come into play. These events consist of band and team dance, relay races, group competition (such as making unique headgear to use while competing in these relay races and dances). While the club activities opposition game is carried out, there is a tradition such as wearing a class T-shirt on the occasion of a competition. In addition, Dokkyo Saitama Junior & Senior High School, Dokkyo Junior High School of Tokyo, and Dokkyo University all share a tradition in their historic background and founders, but have completely different traditions of their own.

Institution

Dokkyo Saitama High School is on a lot approximately 80,000 square metres (860,000 sq ft). The grounds consists of a gym, baseball field, combined use, soccer and rugby field, track-and-field, 7 tennis courts, outdoor Olympic size swimming pool (25-metre, 9 course). In 2005 (the 25th anniversary commemorative project), the school added a second gym that is indoor and included two basketball courts two in conjunction with the first gym. There are fully equipped locker rooms in the classroom for the senior high school students, but the junior high school tower does not have locker rooms. There are 15 sport clubs and 8 artistic clubs.

Dokkyo Saitama High School mission statement is "Reclamation, Creation, Love and Faith".

International Exchange

School has 4 active international exchange programs.

• Dominican University, San Francisco (22 days)
• Penola Catholic College, Melbourne (2 weeks)
• Steinbart Gymnasium, Germany (2 weeks)
• Levin Intermediate School (2 weeks)

Access

Dokkyo Saitama High School is 20 minutes away from Sengendai Train Station (Tobu Isesaki Line) by walking. There is a school bus from the station to the school that takes only 5 minutes.