下校

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 下校, read げこう, is a noun that combines with する for leaving school after classes or school activities.
• Basic usage: The students' action appears in 集団で下校する, while the schedule appears in 下校時刻.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Leaving school versus arriving home
  • 下校 focuses on departure from school and does not by itself state that the student has reached home.
• Action versus time
  • 下校する describes what students do, while 下校時刻 names the scheduled time for that departure.