Welcome to the Japanese SCHOOL -VISITING is believing- ②School Events - Body Measurement

 Every April, when students start their school life,  each school conducts the body measurement for the students under the School Health and Safety Act (学校保健安全法).  They measure height, weight, eyesight and hearing so that the Ministry of Education and each prefectural board of education can compare the data with the one measured for the previous years.

Teachers usually measure the body of the students with the help of some students in charge of writing down the figures on the form.  When they measure eyesight, they usually use the chart in one of the pictures above.  It consists of Japanese letters called 'hiragana' and the C-shaped letters to ask the students which side is open.  As for the hearing test, they hear two different sounds and are tested if they can hear the sounds.