Japan’s government wants to improve its outreach to foreign children living in the country by providing more learning opportunities that include the increased promotion of Japanese language education.
In a survey conducted in 2019, the education ministry found around 19,000 elementary or junior high school foreign students did not attend a local school. While Japanese students need to comply with regulations for compulsory education, the said regulations do not apply to foreign residents.
The ministry has started to convince public schools to accept and provide free tuition to non-Japanese children who are interested in entering local public schools, which offer free education.
As the global economy recovers from the Covid pandemic, the Japanese government has formulated strategies that will provide all foreign children in the country the same access to educational opportunities.
Local governments have been working closely with international schools and nonprofit organizations to assess the current situation and offer parents information on the options available to their children.
Aside from access to education, the country has also recognized the need to promote Japanese language education, which will mean an increased demand for licensed language teachers.
