More parents send kids to Indian, Chinese schools As China and India increasingly flex their muscles as economic powerhouses, many Japanese parents are beginning to send their children to international schools run by Chinese and Indian educators with hopes of churning out more competitive kids. Experts say that Japanese parents are eager to send their kids to such schools because they think that giving their kids opportunities to learn about Chinese and English at an early stage will be a big plus for their futures. Japan Times, Dec. 28, 2008.
Challenges for Multicultural Education in Japan The growing diversification of Japanese society has a major impact on education at every level. The appearance of large numbers of children in schools whose mother tongue is not Japanese and who have other cultural orientations besides mainstream Japanese culture is a growing phenomenon. The teaching of immigrant and minority children or foreign students is a contested site in which there is a struggle about their role and future in the society. New Horizons for Learning.
Multicultural Education in Japan: What Can Japan Learn from Multicultural Australia? by Ruriko Okada. In 2002 in Japan, an educational reform was put into operation to raise more internationally-minded people from an early stage of life. However, ‘international education’ in Japan seems to be directly connected to ‘English education’. In this paper, I would like to stress that not only language education but also cultural education is and will be necessary to truly attain the internationalization of Japan. David Ewick's homepage, Chuo University Faculty of Policy Studies, 2004.
Multicultural Curriculum We take pride in our diverse, multicultural curriculum which emphasizes the Japanese language and culture while integrating a wide range of developmentally appropriate activities. In an environment conducive to learning, our program develops children in all areas fostering self-esteem, cooperation and confidence.Nihonmachi Little Friends.
International kids to get free school A nonprofit group promoting multiculturalism will open a free school next month in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, for foreign children or Japanese children who have a limited command of the Japanese language due to being raised by non-Japanese parents, group officials said Saturday....Because of their poor command of Japanese, these children often end up failing high school entrance exams or even becoming socially withdrawn. Japan Times, May 29, 2005.
International preschool not just about English Kincarn is one of some 20 international preschools in and around Tokyo. But unlike many other kindergartens designed for foreign children, Kincarn's class is mostly made up of Japanese children -- 40 out of 45 -- amid increasing interest among Japanese parents in an early English education. Japan Times, July 2, 2000.
International schools' popularity up International schools have become increasingly popular amongst parents of Japanese children. This articles looks at some of the reasons for thsi and some problems that Japanese chidlren may face at international schools. Japan Times, Oct. 20, 2001.
First 'Japanese' international school debuts The first international school to adopt the Japanese education system opened its doors Saturday in Chiba's booming Makuhari area. Although most classes are taught in English, the school has been recognised as a Japanese educational institution by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Technology.Japan Times, April 12, 2009.
International school built to serve: One man's dream gives science city of Tsukuba first official international school An article about Masayasu Kano and his efforts to set up the first international school in Tsukuba, a city with 7600 foreign nationals from 130 different countries. Japan Times, April 11, 2009.
Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research at Tokyo University of Foreign Studieis
The Multicultural Community Learning Support Center also at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies contributes to the education of our university's students through encouraging and supporting them to engage in learning-assistance volunteer activities for children from foreign countries, as well as, through promoting human resource development to meet the demands of contemporary multilingual/multicultural society.
Tai, E. (2007). 'Multicultural Education in Japan', Japan Focus, December 27, 2007. Korean ethnic education in Japanese public schools, which started in the 1960s, is a form of multicultural education that provides useful ideas for multiculturalist teachers dealing with children of newcomer foreigners. In Osaka, Japanese and Korean activists with different political agendas developed two distinctive approaches. Those interested in the homeland politics of the two Koreas tried to develop an ethno-national identity among Korean children, while those involved in civil rights politics in Japan encouraged the development of political subjectivity.
Okada, R. (2004).'Multicultural Education in Japan: What Can Japan Learn from Multicultural Australia?'themargins.net
Murphey-Shigematsu, S. (2003). 'Challenges for Multicultural Education in Japan'. New Horizons for Learning. "The growing diversification of Japanese society has a major impact on education at every level. The appearance of large numbers of children in schools whose mother tongue is not Japanese and who have other cultural orientations besides mainstream Japanese culture is a growing phenomenon. The teaching of immigrant and minority children or foreign students is a contested site in which there is a struggle about their role and future in the society".
The Crossover between Korean Ethnic Education and Multicultural Education in Japan: Kawasaki Fureaikan and ethnic classes in Osaka by Kim, Tae Eun, Kyoto University, no date. This academic article examines "the historical background of Korean ethnic education in Japan since the end of WWII, and the crossover between Korean ethnic education and multicultural education,1 especially from the 1990s onwards."