International School In Japan
Japan is an island country made up of four primary islands and many smaller ones, it is one of the most literate and technically advanced nations. Education is regarded as the most important aspect of an individual’s life in Japan. There are around 40 accredited international schools in Japan.
International schools are quite popular among foreign students as english is used as the primary language which is not the case in public schools.
Another advantage of international schools is the prevalence of cultural diversity, students from diverse backgrounds learn together under one roof. The class size in public schools is quite large and can sometimes lead to a lack of individual attention, international schools have smaller class sizes and can also customize learning for each student.
The basic education system in Japan comprises six years in elementary school followed by three years of middle school and three years in senior high school.
Elementary and middle school is compulsory for all children and students have to usually take exams to get into senior high school and universities. Let us have a look on these levels of schooling in brief:
Elementary Schools
Students start elementary school at the age of six in the month of April. The school offers courses with a variety of academic and nonacademic subjects.Currently, primary school curriculum in Japan is divided into three main categories namely, compulsory subjects, moral education, and special activities.
Japanese culture is highlighted in the non academic subjects like Japanese calligraphy, music, haiku or Japanese traditional poetry, homemaking, physical education, and moral education. There are various after school once a week clubs available for students in elementary schools. Quite recently Japan also added computer programming as a compulsory subject for primary schools.
Secondary School
Secondary education in Japan is split between junior high school ,and senior high school. The Junior high school covers standards seven, eight , and nine while senior high school covers standards tenth to twelve.
The senior high school generally lasts up to three years but can change according to the format the student chooses.
To get Admission in senior high school, students have to pass a test and score exceptionally well as the competition to get into the best senior high schools is very fierce.
Curriculums being followed by International schools in Japan
Many international schools in Japan offer various recognised curriculums in senior high schools like CBSE, IBDP, IGCSE. Students can opt for any of the available curriculum which suits their learning needs the most.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science , and Technology (MEXT) is responsible for the curriculums in schools. It revises the curriculum every 10 years. The latest amendment is focused on cross curricular competencies such as problem solving, creativity , and good learning habits by emphasizing active learning in all courses.
It is focused on three themes :
1. Motivation to learn and apply learning to life
2. Acquisition of knowledge and technical skills
3. Skills to think, make judgments, and express oneself.
Fee Structure of International Schools in Japan
The fee structure varies from school to school depending upon the type of facilities offered. The overall annual range of tuition fees is between 1.5 to 2.3 million JPY, schools also charge registration fees of around 300,000 JPY (2,700 USD).
There are extra fees for school lunch, bags, uniforms , etc which parents also have to bear.
Conclusion
As one of the most literate nations in Asia, there is no doubt that education is highly regarded in Japan. Tokyo offers some of the best international schools in the world.
Expats parents have a lot of options to choose from and don’t have to worry about interrupting their child’s education as international schools offer english as a language and native curriculums to choose from.
The level and quality of education in senior school is excellent, with high competition for admissions in schools for higher studies in Japan.
