History Main / CramSchool

[[caption-width-right:350:...[[TrainingFromHell and it's not even finals week]].]]

In many countries, admittance into university is based on a [[AchievementTestOfDestiny long, difficult, often very competitive set of exams]] taken at the end of one's final year of public school. A cram school is a special school, generally privately-run, whose entire, unashamed purpose is to help pupils pass these exams. To that end, the focus is almost entirely on answering questions from past exam papers and fine-tuning answering strategies. Cram school is generally attended in addition to regular school, but some offer full-time education.

The role of these schools is a matter of controversy. Many teachers oppose them on the basis that they undermine the work and dedication of regular teachers. Their opponents argue that if teachers were doing as good a job as they should, there would be no need for cram schools. Some say that expensive cram schools [[BribingYourWayToVictory unfairly benefit children of the rich]] in what's supposed to be an evaluation of skill; others retort that the same could be said of any tutor and that parents have the right to invest in their kids. [[JustForFun/TelevisionIsTryingToKillUs Cram schools can also be dangerous to students' health, as they risk overwork and classes are often very early in the morning or late at night to fit them around the regular school schedule]].

See SummerSchoolSucks for the broad Western equivalent of extra education, but the schools in that trope usually lean towards "boring and embarrassing" rather than "stressful and perhaps a social norm".

* ''Series/ExtraordinaryAttorneyWoo'': "The Pied Piper" focuses on a particularly brutal one. The children aren't allowed to go home until ''everyone'' finishes all their work, or until the school closes (at 10 PM), whichever comes first. A student is later shown to be a sobbing wreck because he couldn't understand his math homework, and he was made to feel like a failure because of it. The students get no breaks, not even to have dinner or a snack. No going to the bathroom more than twice per day. No recess or free time. Even the field trips are basically just more school. This drives the episode's client, a FriendToAllChildren, to kidnap a school bus full of students... [[TheKindnapper to give them a day of having fun and playing outside, without any homework or teachers breathing down their necks]]. Young-woo and her colleagues, while they can't condone their client's methods, are appalled at how the school treats its students, and, unsurprisingly, find out all the kidnapping "victims" consider the incident to have been the best day ever.

* ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1146660/Solar_Cram_School/ Solar Cram School]]'' is a [[AnEntrepreneurIsYou business simulation game]] where you run a cram school company, trying to balance the books while recruiting skilled teachers and setting your students up for success.

Cram schools tend to be different around the world depending on how different countries' societies see education and how their university entrance requirements work, and some countries have interesting quirks:

** On the other end, high school students in China don't go to cram schools. As high school funding is directly proportional to college admission rates and the prestige of the colleges the students get into, there's an incredible incentive for the high school to double as the cram school. The average Chinese high school student's day is [[TrainingFromHell fourteen hours long]], much of it in mandatory study halls.

* In Ireland, these are known as Grind Schools and generally run courses over term holidays, usually Easter.
* Cram schools are common in UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}} and will offer a mix of tutoring and mock university exams. University entry and placement exams are ''immensely'' important for professional career paths in Turkey, especialy if one is looking to work in the governmment sector.
** The connection between the tests and high-level government positions also makes cram schools in Turkey ''incredibly'' politicized. Many casual observers may wonder why Turkey cracked down on cram schools around the time of the failed 2016 coup attempt. The answer is that the alleged plotters of the coup were [[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-education-idUSKCN1152DN accused of using (and operating) cram schools for recruitment]].

* In Brazil they are known as the ''cursinhos'' ("little courses"), which are part-time (although full-time schools are not uncommon) for the ''vestibulares'' (Entrance exams for specific universities) or the ENEM (National High School Exam, for any university). These courses are extremly important because public education in Brazil is completly free and have the best-rated colleges. Thus, the ''cursinhos'' are essential to enter more disputed programs such as medicine or law. This has also exacerbated social inequality, since the ''cursinhos'' are only available for middle or high-class students, who enter in public colleges and don't have to pay tuition, while lower-class people who don't have conditions to study or are in poor public schools can only enter in expensive private colleges.

* In Brazil they are known as the ''Cursinhos'' ("Little courses"), which are part-time (although full-time schools are not uncommon) for the ''vestibulares'' (Entrance exams for specific universities) or the ENEM (National High School Exam, for any unversity). These courses are extremly important because public education in Brazil is completly free and have the best-rated colleges. Thus, the ''cursinhos'' are essential to enter more disputed programs such as medicine or law. This has also exacerbated social inequality, since the ''cursinhos'' are only available for middle or high-class students, who enter in public colleges and don't have to pay tuition, while lower-class people who don't have conditions to study or are in poor public schools can only enter in expensive private colleges.

In many countries, admittance into university is based on a [[AchievementTestOfDestiny long, difficult, often very competitive set of exams]] taken at the end of one's final year of school. A cram school is a special school, generally privately-run, whose entire, unashamed purpose is to help pupils pass these exams. To that end, the focus is almost entirely on answering questions from past exam papers and fine-tuning answering strategies. Cram school is generally attended in addition to regular school, but some offer full-time education.

The role of these schools is a matter of controversy. Many teachers oppose them on the basis that they undermine the work and dedication of regular teachers. Their opponents argue that if teachers were doing as good a job as they should, there would be no need for cram schools. Some say that expensive cram schools unfairly benefit the rich in what's supposed to be a merit-based evaluation; others retort that the same could be said of any tutor or private education. [[JustForFun/TelevisionIsTryingToKillUs Cram schools can also be dangerous to students' health, as they risk overwork and classes are often very early in the morning or late at night to fit them around the regular school schedule]].

The prevalence of cram schools varies in different countries around the world, but they're most prevalent in East Asia, where the EducationMama is a common phenomenon and university entrance exams are so important that they can basically make or break a teenager's future. As such, it's a common {{Anime trope|s}} -- a particular twist is for [[TheSmartGuy the smart kid]] to go to cram school despite not needing it or still being in grade school, [[NerdsLoveToughSchoolwork just because they enjoy it]].

See SummerSchoolSucks for the Western equivalent for making up missing credits off-term, much to the student's chagrin, but the schools in that trope usually lean towards "lame and boring" rather than "stressful and grueling".

* ''Film/TheTaiwanOyster'' based on the director's own experience, about two Americans teaching English in cram schools and private kindergartens in Taiwan who spend most of their time drinking beer.

* ''Literature/DombeyAndSon'' by Creator/CharlesDickens provides the UrExample with a cram school doubling as a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors. It's so intense, the Head Boy turns feeble-minded from too much cramming, and [[LittlestCancerPatient Paul Dombey]] is implied to have gone to an early grave thanks to academic overwork (although it could also just have been natural causes).
* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books often refer to the [[AchievementTestOfDestiny OWL and NEWT exams]] that Hogwarts students must take in their fifth and seventh years, respectively. In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', we see that although there aren't any formal cram schools, the students are basically making their own, with Ernie [=MacMillan=] bragging that he's studying ''eight hours'' a day and Hannah Abbott having a breakdown and being sent to the hospital wing right before the exams. Harry has his own episode when he falls off his chair screaming during the exam, and the proctor assumes he's just stressed out about it (he's actually receiving a painful remote MindProbe).

* ''Literature/TheMightyAtom'' by Creator/MarieCorelli provides an early variant; Lionel is homeschooled by a series of tutors by order of his FantasyForbiddingFather, who allows no speculation on religious or spiritual subjects, as he's supposed to have OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions. It ends badly.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', one of your character's Social Links is a little girl who attends a cram school. Yukari also mentions that she attends one in ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 FES]]''.

* In UsefulNotes/SouthKorea, cram schools are known as ''hagwon''. South Korea is known for having one of the absolute most competitive university entrance exams in the world, and the cram schools are accordingly brutal, including some that even use fines or corporal punishment to motivate students. The government has had to impose a strict 10pm closing time, and the police patrol at night to look for schools flouting the curfew. However, the term hagwon can be used for any type of private supplementary school, including non-competitive ones that merely teach subjects not covered/focused on by public schools. (Non-competitive compared to the exam hagwons, anyways...)
* UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} has ''lots'' of cram schools, to the point where the majority of students attend one. They're often called ''buxiban'' or ''bushiban'', though as with Korean hagwons above, that term could really be used for any private supplementary lesson.

In many countries, entry to university is based on a [[AchievementTestOfDestiny harsh, gruelling, often very competitive set of exams]] taken at the end of one's final year of school. A cram school is a special school, generally privately run, whose entire, unashamed purpose is to enable pupils to pass these exams. To this end, the focus is almost entirely on answering questions from past exam papers and fine-tuning answering strategies. Cram school is generally attended in addition to regular school, but some offer full-time education.

The role of these schools is a matter of controversy. Many teachers oppose them on the basis that they undermine the work and dedication of regular teachers. Their opponents argue that if teachers were doing as good a job as they should, there would be no need for cram schools. [[JustForFun/TelevisionIsTryingToKillUs Cram schools can also be dangerous to students' health, as the students risk overwork and classes are often very early in the morning or late at night to fit them around the regular school schedule]].

The prevalence of cram schools varies in different countries around the world, but they're most prevalent in East Asia, where the EducationMama is a common phenomenon and university entrance exams are so important that they can basically make or break a teenager's future. As such, it's a common {{Anime trope|s}} -- a particular twist is for [[TheSmartGuy the Smart Kid]] going to cram school despite not needing it at all or still being in grade school, [[NerdsLoveToughSchoolwork just because they enjoy it]].

See SummerSchoolSucks for the Western equivalent for making up missing credits off-term much to the student's chagrin.

* ''Manga/OnePunchMan'': In extra materials it's revealed that [[KidHero Child Emperor]], aside from attending normal school despite being a ChildProdigy, he also attends Cram School... ''as a teacher''.

* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books often refer to the [[AchievementTestOfDestiny OWL and NEWT exams]] that Hogwarts students must take in their fifth and seventh years, respectively. In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', we see that although there aren't any formal cram schools, the students are basically making their own, with Ernie [=MacMillan=] bragging that he's studying ''eight hours'' a day and Hannah Abbott having a breakdown and being sent to the hospital wing right before the exams. Harry has his own episode when he falls off his chair screaming during the exam, and the proctor assumes he's just stressed out about the exam (he's actually getting his head probed by [[BigBad Voldemort]]).

* In UsefulNotes/HongKong, cram schools are known as "tutorial schools". An interesting aspect of these schools is that some of their teachers are promoted like celebrities: they employ stylists, fashion designers, and photographers to make them look fashionable, and they then put their likenesses on giant billboard and newspaper advertisements with cool titles such as "King of Tutors", "Godfather of Science", and "Queen of English".
* In UsefulNotes/SouthKorea, cram schools are known as ''hagwon'', and many specialize in fields outside of standard exam prep like sports and arts. South Korea is known for having one of the absolute most competitive university entrance exams in the world, and the cram schools are accordingly brutal. The government has had to impose a strict 10pm closing time, and the police patrol at night to look for schools flouting the curfew.
* UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} has ''lots'' in many subjects. In Taiwan, cram school is often called a ''buxiban'' or ''bushiban''.
* UsefulNotes/{{China}}, despite having a mentality very conducive to them cram schools, has a cram-school culture different from other East Asian nations. This is mostly due to how the school system is organized.

** The connection between the tests and high-level government positions also makes cram schools in Turkey ''incredibly'' politiscised. Many casual observers may wonder why Turkey cracked down on cram schools around the time of the failed 2016 coup attempt. The answer is that the alleged plotters of the coup were [[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-education-idUSKCN1152DN accused of using (and operating) cram schools for recruitment]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', one of your character's Social Links is a little girl who attends a cram school. Yukari also mentions that she attends one in ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 FES]]''.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', one of your Social Links is a middle schooler who attended cram school and then quit because it wasn't intense enough for him, leading to his mother hiring you as a tutor.

* The main character of ''14-sai no Haha'' and her boyfriend attend one of these.

* In ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Kyon and Sasaki met in cram school during their last year of middle school. Later in the novels, Kyon mentions that he probably would have to go to cram school if Haruhi hadn't started tutoring him.

* The ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' books often refer to the [[AchievementTestOfDestiny OWL and NEWT exams]] that Hogwarts students must take in their fifth and seventh years, respectively. In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', we see that although there aren't any formal cram schools, the students are basically making their own, with Ernie [=MacMillan=] bragging that he's studying ''eight hours'' a day and Hannah Abbott having a breakdown and being sent to the hospital wing right before the exams. Harry has his own episode when he falls off his chair screaming during the exam, and the proctor assumes he's just stressed out about the exam (he's actually getting his head probed by Voldemort).

[[folder:Film]]

* UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} has '''lots''' in many subjects. In Taiwan, cram school is often called a ''buxiban'' or ''bushiban''.

** Cram schools are common for the middle grades, especially between the 4-9th grades. This is because all places in China have institutionalized magnet schools, which receives more funding than those that aren't. As a result, the examinations that control middle and high school admissions are considered serious business, as going to which school is likely to have a bearing on the child's academic achievement. It is also unusual that in China, mathematics is by far the most crammed subject, as many elite schools--at least used to--use Olympiad-level mathematics as an IQ test proxy for admission purposes. It's at a point that Beijing has good reason to believe this trope is ''depressing the birth rate'', and in the usual Chinese manner, [[https://www.marketplace.org/2021/06/09/chinese-students-parents-stressed-by-demands-of-extracurricular-classes/ puts a lid on it in 2021]] by making cram schools that teach academic subjects unprofitable[[note]]No new license allowed, existing licensees are mandatorily turned into nonprofits and limited to bona fide remedial classes held before 9 pm on school days.[[/note]].

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Film]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

The prevalence of cram schools varies in different countries around the world, but they're most prevalent in East Asia, where the EducationMama is a common phenomenon and university entrance exams are so important that they can basically make or break a teenager's future. As such, it's a common {{Anime trope|s}} -- a particular twist is for [[TheSmartGuy the Smart Kid]] going to cram school despite not needing it at all or still being in grade school, [[NerdsLoveToughSchoolwork just because he or she enjoys it]].

** Cram schools are common for the middle grades, especially between the 4-9th grades. This is because all places in China have institutionalized magnet schools, which receives more funding than those that aren't. As a result, the examinations that control middle and high school admissions are considered serious business, as going to which school is likely to have a bearing on the child's academic achievement. It is also unusual that in China, mathematics is by far the most crammed subject, as many elite schools--at least used to--use Olympiad-level mathematics as an IQ test proxy for admission purposes. It's at a point that Beijing has good reason to believe this trope is ''depressing the birth rate'', and in the usual Chinese manner, [[https://www.marketplace.org/2021/06/09/chinese-students-parents-stressed-by-demands-of-extracurricular-classes/ trying to put a lid on it in 2021]].

* ''Literature/TheMightyAtom'' by Creator/MarieCorelli provides an early variant; Lionel is homeschooled by a series of tutors by order of his FantasyForbiddingFather, who allows no speculation on religious or spiritual subjects, as he's supposed to haw OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions. It ends badly.

* UsefulNotes/{{China}} strangely doesn't exactly have cram schools despite having a mentality very conducive to them. On the Mainland, high school funding is directly proportional to college admission rates and the prestige of the colleges the students get into, so there's incredible incentive to the high school to double as the cram school. The average Chinese high school student's day is [[TrainingFromHell fourteen hours long]], much of it in mandatory study halls. Private cram schools have only recently emerged as the government has tried to mandate shorter school hours, so the private schools are just filling in the gaps.

* UsefulNotes/{{France}} has preparatory classes inside high schools, a cursus of two years to preparate to various entrance examination to engineering schools, business school and other specialised schools. To be accepted, teachers ask for a high academic level and the ability to bear a high workload. The final year can be repeated once if no interesting school is available.

* UsefulNote/{{France}} has preparatory classes inside high schools, a cursus of two years to preparate to various entrance examination to engineering schools, business school and other specialised schools. To be accepted, teachers ask for a high academic level and the ability to bear a high workload. The final year can be repeated once if no interesting school is available.

The prevalence of cram schools varies in different countries around the world, but the they're most prevalent in East Asia, where the EducationMama is a common phenomenon and university entrance exams are so important that they can basically make or break a teenager's future. As such, it's a common {{Anime trope|s}} -- a particular twist is for [[TheSmartGuy the Smart Kid]] going to cram school despite not needing it at all or still being in grade school, [[NerdsLoveToughSchoolwork just because he or she enjoys it]].

* UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} has '''lots''' in many subjects. English classes tend to be given by foreigners from western countries, often with no qualifications or experience. In Taiwan, cram school is often called a ''buxiban'' or ''bushiban''.

* The ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' books often refer to the [[AchievementTestOfDestiny OWL and NEWT exams]] that Hogwarts students must take in their fifth and seventh years, respectively. In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', we see that although there aren't any formal cram schools, the students are basically making their own, with Ernie [=MacMillan=] bragging that he's studying ''eight hours'' a day and Hannah Abbott having a breakdown and being sent to the hospital wing right before the exams. Harry has his own episode when he falls of his chair screaming during the exam, and the proctor assumes he's just stressed out about the exam (he's actually getting his head probed by Voldemort).

* UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} has '''lots''' in many subjects. English classes tend to be given by foreigners from western countries, often with no qualifications or experience.

* UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} has lots in many subjects. English classes tend to be given by foreigners from western countries, often with no qualifications or experience.