An (also and ) is an educational

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

that offers education from

elementary Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, an ...

or middle (or even from the

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

) until

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. Escalator schools are so called because students usually rise to the next grade without having to take

entrance exam In education, an entrance examination or admission examination is an examination that educational institutions conduct to select prospective students. It may be held at any stage of education, from primary to tertiary, even though it is typicall ...

s. While many Western private schools are this way, escalator schools are far more prevalent in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

than in other countries. Escalator schools are commonly found in

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

and

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

, as they are a quick and easy explanation for having characters of very different ages in the same school-like setting realistically.

Examples in pop culture

* Ohtori Academy in ''

Revolutionary Girl Utena is a series created by Be-Papas, an artist collective founded by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The primary entries in the series include a 1996 manga written by Chiho Saito, a 1997 anime television series directed by Ikuhara, and ''Adolescence of ...

''. * CLAMP Academy in ''

CLAMP School Detectives , also known as ''CLAMP Campus Detectives'', is a manga series by Clamp, which was adapted into a 26-episode anime series, produced by Bandai Visual and Studio Pierrot. The manga series was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's '' Monthly Asuka' ...

''. * Mugen Gakuen and T*A Private Girls School in ''

Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The seri ...

''. ** T*A Private Girls School is based on the real-world escalator school

Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin is a private girls academy founded on November 6, 1884, in Azabu, Minato, Tokyo by Martha J. Cartmell, a Methodist missionary from Canada.SeHistory of Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin, page 1. Accessed June 15, 2006] Toyo Eiwa Women's University, establishe ...

. * Mahora Academy in '' Mahou Sensei Negima''. * Ouran Academy in ''

Ouran High School Host Club is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Bisco Hatori, and serialized in Hakusensha's ''LaLa'' magazine between the September 2002 and November 2010 issues. The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ouran Aca ...

''. * Saki Girls' School in ''Joshi Kousei''. * Eitoku Academy in '' Boys Before Flowers''. * Kuoh Academy in

High School DxD is a Japanese light novel series written by Ichiei Ishibumi and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. The story centers on Issei Hyodo, a perverted high school student from Kuoh Academy who desires to be a harem king and is killed by ...

. *

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters The X-Mansion or Xavier Institute is the common name for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier, a character in X-Me ...

/Xavier Academy in the comic book, cartoon and theatrical versions of the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

. Xavier's "escalator" goes one step higher, since most of the instructors are former students who seamlessly moved into their new roles. * Sayaka Kudo's high school in ''

Flying Colors (2015 film) is a 2015 Japanese youth comedy drama film directed by Nobuhiro Doi, based on a true story. The film was released on May 1, 2015 in Japan. Plot Sayaka Kudo is a 'gyaru' who wears miniskirts and dyes her hair blonde. Although she is a second year ...

''.

References

School types {{education-stub

Examples in pop culture

See also

References