Home   >   Community   >   Classroom capers

Classroom capers

By on February 1, 2009

There was a time when international schools were predominantly the territory of foreign families living and working here. In recent years there have been dramatic changes. The increasing number of bi-cultural marriages are making International schools more ‘international’ than ever before. A survey by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry found that the mother, father or both parents of 35,651 babies born here originated from countries other than Japan and they represent over 3 percent of the 1.1 million babies born nationwide in 2006.

 

The number of progressive thinking Japanese couples who are now looking for something beyond the standard Japanese education system is also rising.   

 

International schooling has become the preferred route and many believe that by entering their children into a multicultural setting they will become more creative, assertive, globally aware and better prepared  for the future.

 

With one out of every thirty babies born in Japan having a non-Japanese parent, it comes as no surprise that the number of international schools is growing. For both the Japanese students and bi-cultural students attending international school, the benefits are obvious. Complete immersion allows for bilingual abilities to develop as well as cross cultural understanding.

 

For the foreign students who attend international school in Japan, the benefits are equally apparent. Firstly, the opportunity to study an international syllabus allowing them to go on to higher education in the country of their choice. Secondly, the learning environment is enhanced by the multi cultural dynamics of the classroom and the excellent teaching staff that an international school attracts.

 

Demand for places is high, as are expectations from parents. International schools are having to offer more progressive curricula, update facilities and attain high  academic results. Standards are rising due to increased competition and the number of graduates attending top level universities is extremely high when compared with  home counterparts. As a result, Tokyo and Yokohama offer some of the finest schooling in Asia  where students are encouraged to be culturally aware, responsible, and productive citizens of a diverse and increasingly interdependent world. It’s a great time to be a student and the years spent at international schools here in Japan will undoubtedly prove to be some of the best of their lives.

About TF Tribe