Do american kids (living in japan) attend school japanese schools?
Or do they have an american tutor who homeschools them?
Japan - 10 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I believe there are special, and very expensive international schools there that non Japanese speaking foreigners can go to.
2 :
Each base has their own schools inside. Some big cities provide private American schools for foreigners. I think most of all American kids go either those above because Japanese schools can't follow pupils who only speak English.
3 :
I heard that if the parents are in the military, they have schools on the military bases... Read here: There is an elementary, junior and senior high. http://www.usarj.army.mil/information/edu/schools.aspx How can you send your child (unless the child is like 5 then its ok) to a place where they can't understand? Younger children 0-5 will learn Japanese or another language like crazy because their brains are easy to make connections.
4 :
In Tokyo there are several international schools that are for children of English speaking families that live in Tokyo. They also accept Japanese students that had lived abroad and attended schools in America. The schools follow the American school curriculum and are accredited by the Western Schools of Accreditation. I sent my kids to Sacred Heart University's International school and to ASIJ, American School In Japan. he schools are open to anyone who speaks English, but they must test all prospective studensts to make sure their English skills are good. The schools are very expensive, which my corporate expat package pays for most of the cost. Military bases have their own schools just for the military dependants. Civilian families cannot send their kids to those schools.
5 :
i remember when i was pupil. i saw a white boy in my school. he looked isolated and teased by other japanese boys despite him being 10 cm taller than him. i was in the toilet and he took a squat and didn't know how to flush it, i guess. two kids were pointing fingers while they laughed. he looked a bit sad. after not so long i didnt see him anymore. uni is a different story but foreigners enrolling into a japanese school system is very rare and very NOT accommodating i have to rightly surmise. diverstity is not our culture's strongest strength. being the opposite, conformity is its strength.
6 :
I don't think it's possible for American kids living in Japan to attend a normal Japanese school unless they know Japanese very well including the kanji. Like me, I currently attend an international school here in Japan.
7 :
If they speak fluent Japanese, then they may enroll in Japanese schools. But my kids go to international school. There is also American School in Japan, which is very expensive. For military families, they go to school on the base.
8 :
It depends on their language ability, and also where in Japan they are living. We live in a very rural area, and as far as I know there isn't an international school on the whole island (nearest would be in Kobe, about 3 hours drive away from here), so it wouldn't be possible for my kids to attend. They go to the local kindergarten and elementary school, but they knew a lot of japanese before starting (spoken only, they couldn't read or write). They are given additional support to help them catch up. I know of an american couple who tried sending their kids (who didn't know any japanese) to the local schools but ended up pulling them out and home-schooling. They teach the kids themselves.
9 :
You should clarify how much Japanese these hypothetical American kids can understand, and how long they're going to be living in Japan. If the students can't understand Japanese and are only staying temporarily, there's no point; the schools just don't have the ability to accomodate non-Japanese speakers. International schools are more popular in this case, but of course they aren't available in all areas. Actually, a fair number of Japanese kids attend these international schools too (usually returnees who lived abroad in the past).
10 :
Homeschooling is rare to almost nonexistent in Japan. There are two points: Kids who are here because their parents are in the Military. If this is the case, they would attend school on the Military base, as there are special schools on the bases for people with families. Kids who have parents who work in Japan (not Just Americans, but kids from other countries as well). But are not in the Military. Eg Business work whatever. 1. They can go to what is known as an International school (their parents pay extra for this). For example, my friend from Sweeden went to the American School in Tokyo. Despite its name, anyone can go there. 2. If they are young, and can pick up and learn the language, the kids can be enrolled into a normal Japanese school, usually the parents are residences, pay taxes their kids can go to the regular Japanese school (if they opt to, international schools can be expensive, but it can be harder/easier for the kid, depending on their age and Japanese language ability).
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