Translation guide
In Japan, public senior high schools are typically referred to as 公立高等学校 or 公立高校. The term 'public' can be ambiguous, as it may refer to schools funded by local governments (公立) or national schools (国立). This guide clarifies the terminology and provides natural ways to refer to these schools in Japanese.
I attend a public senior high school.
Tuition at public high schools is cheaper than at private ones.
The full formal term. Used in official documents, news, or formal contexts.
There are three public senior high schools in this area.
Specifically a public high school operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Use only for schools in Tokyo.
He graduated from a Tokyo metropolitan high school.
A public high school operated by a prefectural government (outside Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto). Use when specifying the prefecture.
The entrance exam for prefectural high schools is difficult.
To refer to a senior high school funded by the national government, often attached to national universities.
To clarify whether a school is public (government-funded) or private.
A common phrase to ask or state whether a school is public or private.
Is that school public or private?
In English, 'public school' can mean a government-funded school (US) or an elite private school (UK). In Japanese, 公立 (こうりつ) always means government-funded (local government). Do not use 公立 for UK-style public schools; use 私立 (しりつ) or パブリックスクール instead.
British public schools are actually private.
公立 (こうりつ) refers to schools run by prefectural or municipal governments. 国立 (こくりつ) refers to schools run by the national government. Most 'public' schools in Japan are 公立. 国立 schools are often attached to national universities and are few in number.
That national senior high school is affiliated with a university.