What are japanese schools like?

Question:

I was wondering what japanese schools are like? Do they actually clean their classes and have longer school days? Oh and i dont really get the whole 1-A or 2-D is that a ranking of how smart the kids are or what?? please and thanks!

Answer:

Japanese students are responsible for cleaning the school (classrooms, gym, toilets, hallways, etc.,). How often they have cleaning depends on the school itself. Some schools have cleaning every day, some schools have it only twice a week. If there is no official cleaning, then they have the leaders clean up the classrooms only.

The school days, again depend on the school. Generally, school starts around 8:30 and gets out between 2:30-4.
Clubs run after school, and in junior high, depending on the season end between 4:30-6 (depends on how much light there is).
The link in the sources has some sample schedules for junior high.

As for the number and letter thing, that is for the homeroom. Generally they are not sorted into classes based on their GPA or how smart they are (although that may be different for some high schools since they have different tracks).
Some schools use 1-A, 2-C, etc., others use 1-1, 2-4, etc.,
The first number is for the grade level. The second number (or letter) is which homeroom. Students stay with their homeroom for all of their classes.
Japanese schools do not continue counting the grades all the way through.
So being in class 1-A (or 1-1) could mean you are in the 1st grade/year of elementary school, junior high, or high school.