初しょ等とう教きょう育いく

しょ

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きょ

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Meanings

1

noun

elementary education; primary education

Refers to the first stage of formal schooling, typically covering grades 1–6 in Japan. Often used in educational policy and academic contexts.

日本にほんでは初しょ等とう教きょう育いくは6年ねん間かんです。

In Japan, elementary education lasts six years.

初しょ等とう教きょう育いくの重じゅう要よう性せいが再さい認にん識しきされている。

The importance of primary education is being recognized anew.

Kanji

初first time, beginning
等etc., and so forth, class (first)
教teach, faith, doctrine
育bring up, grow up, raise

Related words

中ちゅう等とう教きょう育いく
Refers to secondary education (middle and high school), the stage after 初等教育.
高こう等とう教きょう育いく
Refers to higher education (university and beyond), a later stage than 初等教育.

Opposites

中ちゅう等とう教きょう育いくN1
中等教育 comes after 初等教育, which refers to elementary/primary schooling.
高こう等とう教きょう育いくN1
初等教育 refers to elementary/primary education, the earliest stage of schooling, in contrast to 高等教育 which comes after secondary school.

Built from

初しょ等とう+教きょう育いく

Etymology

Compound of 初等 (elementary, primary) and 教育 (education). The term is a direct calque from Western educational terminology introduced in the Meiji period.