Foreign Children And Japanese Schools
by Catherine Béjot, Tokyo, May 1999
As many important issues moving into a new country and new culture, schools must rank as one of the most confusing, at least in Japan. Unless the easy choice is for children to follow an international curriculum in a prestigious international school, of which there are many in Tokyo, finding the "right choice" can be mind boggling in a country where education is of prime concern.
I can only speak of kindergarten and elementary school aged children, but for foreign children from any country, the choice of language spoken at home and at the school is number one importance. The child's learning development depends largely on what to speak and how adept the child is at listening, understanding, reading and writing. Pre-school and kindergarten aged children are usually comfortable with the mother tongue, and if the father is of a different culture, this language may also be spoken well by the child, if the parents work at it. Once children are of school age, they, together with the parents must decide which language is to be spoken, once away from home.
In Tokyo, aside from the international schools, there are private and public schools which teach only in the Japanese language. International schools are generally taught in English, unless it is a specialized school such as the French Lycée, and some Japanese language classes are then taught. Language is not just words but also reflects the culture and sometimes the mentality and spirit of the nation.
On private and public schools in Japan, this is a surprising discovery in an advanced country, which boasts high educational standards. Private schools in Tokyo, like everywhere else in the world, are prestigious and exceedingly expensive. Here, they are on par with the level of costs of international schools, at about the same cost as university in the United States, for which mostly corporations and some governments pay heavily for their personnel. Private schools are very difficult for Japanese and foreigners alike, to enter, not without a stiff battery of tests, examinations and interviews for both the parents and the child before the age of 4 years old. A series of applications with high fees attached, written exams and observation interviews, new clothing and perfect posture for the whole family, proper speech, correct level of society, prestigious or promising position of the husband/father, special talents for the mother, impeccable family background and ultimately, important connections and bank account, are the basic requirements for a child to enter private school kindergarten in Tokyo.
This system is so strict yet so desired, that they can afford to turn away about 95% of the applications each session. If a child or family fails entrance at one private school, all chances are lost at that school, and hope is only to apply at another. This is because private kindergarten school is affiliated with a private elementary school and then a private university. At the kindergarten level, as extremely difficult as it is to enter, it is still easier than at the elementary and high school level, so parents want their children, especially their prized girls to be successful in entering at this easier level. Then once in, they can then go on up to university without having to be so rigidly re-examined at the higher levels. In essence, it is easier on the student to be in private school at the earliest age than it is to try to enter at an older age. It is particularly important for girls to be seen at private schools from an early age, so when they naturally proceed to university level, they will meet their future husbands from the "right" background. They also won't have to endure more difficult testing and they can continue life in the tradition to which they have become accustomed.
For boys, it is accepted to go through the more rugged training of elementary public school where exams are frequent, therefore educational discipline is more strict, sports and other activities are more pronounced and depending on the location, the public school could have a more varied cross section of society. Once they are at the high school level, they are expected to endure and succeed the entrance exams of private schools so they will then be prepared for the respective university. Like many other countries, the university determines the level or caliber of the individual, then success in life should follow, and here it is of extreme importance to Japanese society.
Having had first hand experience now for one year, my 5 year old son, John, has successfully completed his first year of Japanese private kindergarten, and is now in his second year of Japanese kindergarten, but at public school. He speaks fluent Japanese for his age and prefers to continue in the Japanese school system, rather than in either English or French language schools, both of which he also speaks at his level. Our initial decision of a private school was coincidental, as the chosen school was simply the nearest one to our home. The choice to put him into public school, was prompted by a variety of factors, but ultimately after having researched the subject over several months, discussions with educators and both international and Japanese parents, we so far feel that we have made the right choice. After all, John hasn't even started real school yet.....or has he?
By the age of 4, a Japanese child is expected to be in a private school, or if not then a good public school. During the years of kindergarten, children must learn how speak and read some of the characters of Japanese language, learn to be alone at home and be able to walk to school on their own. Astonishing to some from most other cultures, but Japan can easily boast a high level of security in society, which is so taken for granted that it is truly shocking, and a pleasant welcome. However, I am still not sure about allowing a four or five-year-old to handle heavy traffic and strangers, before he even knows how to read, or memorize his telephone number. At Japanese school, there is not an obvious structure to teaching methods in Japanese schools, and not unlike the Montessori method, the child may learn whatever subject or activity desired and at the chosen level. Group activities or individual ones are welcome, thereby achieving to instill a strong level of confidence in the child. Acting in plays and singing to an audience is strongly encouraged, if not expected, and a proper way of greeting people is taught. Aside from these social skills, proper subjects are not necessarily taught in kindergarten. Independence, confidence and some social graces are more important than developing artistic or intellectual subjects....which come later in full force.
Mothers are expected to be quite heavily involved in the child's private school system, and somewhat in the public school system. Requests for money and time and energy is a constant flow in the private school system, but basically public schools cost little on a monthly basis and your ideas or viewpoints are always welcome. The PTA has an obvious presence but one is not expected to be too involved, especially as a foreigner, but mothers' social activities are encouraged.
Winter arrives in Japan, when the sidewalks and metros are filled with smiling chilled faces of boys wearing shorts as part of the uniform, and sometimes accompanied by their shivering mothers in fur coats. Tokyo is not as cold as Siberia, or even Ottawa, but it is chilly and gets quite cool in the deepest of February. The theory is to toughen up the young souls to prepare them for life, and other such things.
Public schools allow children who live within a certain distance and must have at least an address in the area, yes this implies that parents cheat by using a friend's address to enter their child into a particular school. Private schools accept children who live not further than 25 minutes (or some such figure), from the school. Even the public school system expects that before elementary school, children walk or take the metro on their own. Many schools expect the children to sport uniforms, with coloured hats specifically corresponding to their level, to indicate to drivers that they are walking to school alone. They must bring lunch boxes which should have well-balanced meals, and a special pair of shoes for indoor wear. The size and shape of backpacks and pouches and cup bags are detailed in the ton of information given at the beginning of the year. Visits to museums and other outings all have very specific requirements, and mothers must check on a daily basis, what should be placed in the backpack on special days and not on others.
Elementary school starts after the child turns 6 years old, without a day's grace, for both private and public school. The school year starts in mid April in Japan, breaks for two months in the summer, then continues until mid March. Opening and closing ceremonies are sacred to the school and to society. Both parents are expected to be there in fine dress, and to pay rather a lot for photos and the like for these occasions.
All in all, the Japanese school system offers a wonderful experience to a foreign child who wishes to accept and embrace Japanese culture, at the same time as learning some of the more select aspects of the parents culture. Children learn very fast how to communicate before they speak, singing and laughter are their best friends until words are exchanged. The morals and lessons taught to (or instilled in) pre-schoolers are different from western systems, but the values are high. It is quite definitely a recommended choice for us and many other foreigners in Japan.