History Main / CramSchool

* This is essentially the backdrop to ''TheHistoryBoys'' - while they're still in their usual school, the group is taking extra classes specifically tailored to get them into Oxford.

* So does [[TeenGenius Ami]] in ''SailorMoon''. Most of the action in Ami's introduction episode happened there, actually.
* And Light in ''DeathNote'', despite being WAY too smart to need it. One can't help but wonder if that's how he managed to get a perfect score...
* Ryoki in ''HotGimmick'' attends one, but only to make his parents feel at ease - he's so smart he manages to ace every class without even ''revising''.
* Manta in ''ShamanKing'' is a cram school student. In fact, he first meets Yoh while rushing from cram school to the train station to catch a train home.

<<|UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}|>>

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

Strangely, even though All East Asian Mothers Are {{Education Mama}}s, there are no cram schools in the usual sense in Mainland China. As high school funding in China is directly proportional to college admission rates and the prestige of the colleges the students get into, high schools have the incentive to be the cram school ''too''-- your average Chinese high school student has a ''[[TrainningFromHell 14-hour school day]]'', using much of the time for teacher-supervised self-study. Private schools only exist to provide prep for the Chinese equivalent of {{ronin}}s only.

Strangely, even though All East Asian Mothers Are {{Education Mama}}s, there are no cram schools in the usual sense in Mainland China. As high school funding in China is directly proportional to college admission rates and the prestige of the colleges the students get into, high schools have the incentive to be the cram school ''too''-- your average Chinese high school student has a ''[[BeyondTheImpossible 14-hour school day]]'', using much of the time for teacher-supervised self-study. Private schools only exist to provide prep for the Chinese equivalent of {{ronin}}s only.

* Hideki and Shinbo in ''{{Chobits}}'' attend one. [[spoiler: Shinbo even marries their cram school teacher, Takako Shimizu.]]

[[quoteright:300:Depending on the country, these may also known as:
\\Juku (Japan),
\\Hagwon (South Korea),
\\Buxiban (China),
\\Tutorial school (Hong Kong),
\\Review Center (Philippines),
\\Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (France),
\\Grind School (Ireland),
\\Frontisterion (Greece),
\\Curso pré-vestibular (Brazil),
\\Dershane (Turkey),
\\Preuniversitario (Chile),
\\Escuela propedéutica (Mexico and Bolivia),
\\Finishing school (India),
\\Coaching School (Australia),
\\Coaching Center (Bangladesh),
\\SAT Prep (US). ]]

[[quoteright:300:Depending on the country, these may also known as:\\
Juku (Japan),

[[quoteright:300:Depending on the country, these may also known as Juku (Japan), Hagwon (South Korea), Buxiban (China), Tutorial school (Hong Kong), Review Center (Philippines), Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (France), Grind School (Ireland), Frontisterion (Greece), Curso pré-vestibular (Brazil), Dershane (Turkey), Preuniversitario (Chile), Escuela propedéutica (Mexico and Bolivia), Finishing school (India), Coaching School (Australia) or Coaching Center (Bangladesh). (And if you think US students get to avoid this, three words: ''SAT prep course''.) In Singapore and Malaysia, these are called ''schools''.]]

Depending on the country, these may also known as Juku (Japan), Hagwon (South Korea), Buxiban (China), Tutorial school (Hong Kong), Review Center (Philippines), Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (France), Grind School (Ireland), Frontisterion (Greece), Curso pré-vestibular (Brazil), Dershane (Turkey), Preuniversitario (Chile), Escuela propedéutica (Mexico and Bolivia), Finishing school (India), Coaching School (Australia) or Coaching Center (Bangladesh). (And if you think US students get to avoid this, three words: ''SAT prep course''.) In Singapore and Malaysia, these are called ''schools''.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gaokao_6449.jpg]]

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

A combination of the hardest, most evil set of college entrance exams and a massive focus on rote memorisation means that cram schools are a fact of life for most Japanese teenagers, and so characters in anime are often seen at these institutions. They seem to be largely absent from TV in other countries, perhaps to avoid teachers hating TV even more.

In Japan at least, these are NOT [[BookDumb for the kids who need help.]] If anything, the kids who need to catch up are less likely to attend them due to being hopeless cases. In anime and manga, the Smart Kid probably enjoys attending this school, unlike everyone else.

Strangely, even though All East Asian Mothers Are {{Education Mama}}s, there are no cram schools in the usual sense in Mainland China. As high school funding in China is directly proportional to college admission rates and the prestige of the colleges the students get into, high schools have the incentive to be the cram school ''too''-- your average Chinese high school student has a ''14-hour school day'', using much of the time for teacher-supervised self-study. Private schools only exist to provide prep for the Chinese equivalent of {{ronin}}s only.

* Toyed with in PuellaMagiMadokaMagica, since Hitomi Shizuki attends cram school after normal class... but said classes are for Japanese dance, tea ceremony and piano playing instead. Well, she ''is'' the local YamatoNadeshiko and is said to be from a very rich and traditional family...

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

Depending on the country, these may also known as Juku (Japan), Hagwon (South Korea), Buxiban (China), Tutorial school (Hong Kong), Review Center (Philippines), Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (France), Grind School (Ireland), Frontisterion (Greece), Curso pré-vestibular (Brazil), Dershane (Turkey), Preuniversitario (Chile), Escuela propedéutica (Mexico and Bolivia), Finishing school (India), Coaching School (Australia) or Coaching Center (Bangladesh). (And if you think US students get to avoid this, three words: ''SAT prep course''.) In Singapore and Malaysia, these are called schools.

In Japan at least, these are NOT for the kids who need help. If anything, the kids who need to catch up are less likely to attend them due to being hopeless cases. In anime and manga, the Smart Kid probably enjoys attending this school, unlike everyone else.

* So does [[TeenGenius Ami]] in ''SailorMoon''.
** Most of the action in Ami's introduction episode happened at one.
* And Light in ''DeathNote'', despite being WAY too smart to need it.
** One can't help but wonder if that's how he managed to get a perfect score...

* In ''OniisamaE'', the titular older brother figure to whom Nanako is writing is her former cram school tutor.
* Jou in ''DigimonAdventure'', and especially ''DigimonAdventure02''.

* The very first episode of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' depicted Nanoha and [[ThoseTwoGuys her friends]] attending cram school after their normal classes even though they're in third grade. They spend part of their time there discussing who should take care of [[WeaselMascot the ferret]] they found.

* Referenced as a RunningGag by ''[[MysteryScienceTheatre3000 MST3K]]'' whenever a kaiju film featuring children is screened.

** In the InvasionOfTheNeptuneMen pisode, they even refer to some children hanging out in the woods as "Cram Camp".

Strangely, even All East Asian Mothers Are {{Education Mama}}s, there are no cram school in the usual sense in Mainland China. As high school funding in China is directly proportional to college admission rates and the prestige of the colleges the students get into, high schools have the incentive to be the cram school ''too''-- your average Chinese high school student has a ''14-hour school day'', using much of the time for teacher-supervised self-study. Private schools only exist to provide prep for the Chinese equivalent of {{ronin}}s only.

* The movie ''How I Got Into College'' is largely about an SAT prep course, and the main character's recurring [[NightmareSequence nightmares]] about the "Two men, A and B," who appear in all the SAT math questions.
* Referenced as a RunningGag by ''MST3K'' whenever a kaiju film featuring children is screened.

* Miaka and Yui are attending CramSchool at the start of ''FushigiYuugi'', preparing for the entrance exams for the prestigious Jonan High School.

<<|UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}|>>

*** This is roughly equivalent to the USA's Community College System.