科 - Examine Your Standing in Your DEPARTMENT

Readings & Meanings:

カ

subject of study

Common Usage:

物理科

科学

教科書

Examples:

彼は物理科の学生だ。

科学の発展で人々の生活様式は大きく変わった。

日本では田中総理大臣の時に、全ての義務教育用の教科書が無料で生徒に配られることに決まった。

Translations:

He is a physics student.

As science progresses, people's lives have changed in big ways.

During the time of Prime Minister Tanaka in Japan, it was decided to distribute the public-school textbooks to students completely free.

Radical:

Nogi-hen, 禾, on the left. 斗, a pictograph of a ladle or measuring cup, on the right. Originally 科 was used to mean "rank" or "examine," like you examine the quality of rice by measuring it.

Departments in universities are where examinations are held.

Bonus: 教科書

The textbooks in Japan are strictly regulated by the government. Even in the private schools. And there's no home school system.

So everybody born in the same year knows exactly the same stories. That's neat; you always can reminisce with anyone the same age, even if you didn't go to the same high school. It's also kind of scary. The idea is trying to make everybody think the same way.

There are controversies about what is to be included and what isn't. For example, the Nanking Incident/Massacre. How this is handled is always a subject of debate.

References:

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/ka.htm
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/o.htm